


War Between Us

by kopfkino



Category: Football RPF, Real Person Fiction, Sports RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - World War II, Angst, Falling In Love, Hurt/Comfort, I am a mess at tagging stories i am so sorry, I'm so sorry, M/M, Multi, Running Away, Summer Love, Summer Vacation, Vacation, War, Well it's not that angsty, World War II, ok nvm it is angsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-10
Updated: 2016-06-10
Packaged: 2018-04-03 10:40:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 75,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4097914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kopfkino/pseuds/kopfkino
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU set in World War II, </p><p>Miro is a Polish boy who spends his summers in the warm region of Bavaria. One day, he meets Thomas, who comes to Chiemsee every year as well. Little does he know how important they will become to each other, as their feelings grow with the times of war.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Eins

It was always sunny in Chiemsee. The lake-water was always blue around the three islands. The wind blew through the trees in a special way he couldn't find anywhere else. It was the closest thing to a beach in the south, and Miroslav really enjoyed coming here every summer. There was nothing like it back in Poland. 

Miroslav wasn't exactly the social type. He enjoyed reading, playing sports and drawing, when he wasn't studying. Education was important for him coming from a rather poor family. His mother had always given him everything and Miroslav had always known he had to pay her back somehow. So he studied. He studied everything he could put his hands on. His efforts were congratulated when his grandfather invited him to Bavaria every summer. His father, who was german, had died when he was young leaving his mother alone with a child to raise. Ever since he was old enough to travel, his grandfather had payed for him a train ticket and given him food and shelter for the summer. 

Germany's economy was beset with mass unemployment and widespread business failures. Miroslav was well aware of these problems, being only 16. There was something fishy about the National Socialist Party, though. They were led by Adoft Hitler, and they seemed to be everywhere. Even their ideas had reached Poland which made Miro rather suspicious about it. He had obviously read Mein Kampf, his book. What gain would Hitler have having antisemitic ideas?  He liked to ignore his few German friends at school who claimed to be superior than their Jewish friends and even Poles. Hopefully it would pass, after all, the country was still getting itself together after the Great War.

When he got to Chiemsee, everything it was easy to forget, even if he did get very lonely. 

Everything changed that day in August when he met him, he was so young, only 10 years old.

Miro was reading on the grass letting the wind blow softly on his face. It was really a beautiful way to release stress. Suddenly, he feels a shadow above him, blocking the wind. 

"Hey you, big guy. I need your help." 

Miro lowers his book to notice a boy above him. His hair is messy and blond, and his face shares an annoyed expression. He sits up.

"Uh, okay?" 

He looks around, no one is around. Where did he even come from?

"Come on." The boy walks down the trail into the bushes. Miroslav is tempted to let him go, but if a boy needs his help, he should help.

 

They walk until they enter a meadow. It has flowers everywhere hidden in the green grass. Miroslav wonders how he's never discovered this place before. He follows the boy to a tree. They both look up. Miro catches a glimpse of a ball. A football ball.

"Why is there a ball in a tree?" He asks.

"I kicked it too hard and it got stuck there. I tried climbing it but I fell. The branches are too apart for me, but maybe you can reach it." 

Miroslav relaxes, he imagined something far worse than this. After a while of climbing he throws back the round toy to the boy. A wide smile crosses his face and Miro can't help but feel proud of himself. 

"I'll be going then." He announces as he jumps off the tree. 

"Wait!" The boy calls. Miro turns around.

"I'm Thomas... Umm, what's your name?"

"Miroslav." 

"You talk funny." The boy points out, which makes Miro smile.

"I'm not from here, you on the other hand have a typical Bavarian accent."

"Oh I'm not from here either." Thomas corrects.

"You're not?" Miro is surprised, he could swear he knows the different between Bavarian accent and other German accents. His grandfather has a rather difficult accent to get used to.

"I'm from München." 

Miroslav sighs, he guesses Thomas doesn't know he's still in the same region. 

"That's still in Germany, that's even still in Bayern, I'm from Poland." Miroslav explains.

"Huh, whatever. Do you know how to play football?" Thomas asks. He's in luck, Miroslav is actually pretty good at football, or so he's been told all his life.

"Just for fun" He admits.  

Thomas' eye light up at his words, he throws the ball at him.

"Could you teach me? I've always longed for a friend who would play with me. No one back in München likes football anyway. Only Basti plays with me when he's not busy studying or helping his dad." 

"Sure." 

There's something about this boy that eases his spirits. Football has always distracted him anyway. 

* * *

 

"You're late." Thomas points out.

"I have to get into university. It's the final school level..." Miroslav explains. "I was looking at my options. It..." 

"You get to pick?" 

Miroslav nods, as he finishes the last sentence of the newspaper from 1932. Thomas showed out of the blue downtown next to him. Even after two years, Thomas is still as energetic as always. He doesn't even have to say the words for Miro to catch his idea. 

"You want to play football?" And he feels Thomas' grin already. "Come on, let's go." 

The meadow hasn't changed a bit, and the two boys finally lay down and drink water after a well deserved effort.

"You're the best football player ever!" Thomas shouts. "I wish you'd live in München, I could tell everyone how cool you are. I mean, I already do... But they could see it you know!?We could play everyday." 

Miroslav laughs. "I think you'd get bored of playing everyday."

"Maybe, but I could show you my room, my toys.... Hey, I was thinking... why don't you come to Germany for university? I think mother said München's university is the best one there is."

"Oh, Thomas."  Miroslav wanted to avoid this conversation. He was sure at some point Thomas would mention it. Ever since they met in that meadow two years ago, they've gotten pretty close. He sometimes feels like the boy considers him his best friend.

"Think about it. I mean german universities are better than polish ones right?" 

Miro is surprised by that last comment.

"What?" 

"Well yeah, Germany is better than Poland in general, you should be here more often."

"Thomas, who told you that Germany was better?" He asks even if he knows the answer. It's rather obvious.

"It's everywhere Miro! Are you blind? Even father said so, and the teachers at school."

The propaganda is starting to annoy Miroslav. He knows it's a way of pulling Germany together, but they shouldn't be attacking other countries, and other people. Thomas continues.

"Father always says that it's the Jews fault Germany is suffering. They're bad people. Except Lukas. He's my neighbor and he's nice, but all other Jews are mean."

"Have you met them?" 

"Who?"

"The other Jews. How can you know they're bad people?"

"Well that's what everybody says!"

"They're wrong." Miroslav dryly says. Thomas is taken aback by his response. "I don't think you understand, you're only 12, but you're wrong, Germany is a good country, but that doesn't make others bad, Poland is an amazing place too."

How to explain the situation to a 12 year old who lives in propaganda 100% of the time is beyond him.

"Listen, people don't like jews, but it's not necessarily what you have to think. The idea people have is that the Jews are a distinct and inferior race to Aryans. Aryans are blue eyed and blond haired people, like you and your family probably. In hard times, people need someone to blame, and they chose the Jews this time.. But we have to be better than that and not blame anyone. This happens when a country loses a war. There's poverty, there's lack of food. But it's not their fault at all."

Thomas is quiet, and Miro doesn't know if he said too much for a kid, but Thomas surprises him. 

"I understand." He finally says. "I guess you're right. I mean, Lukas couldn't possibly be to blame for everything that's happening." 

Miroslav mentally thanks the existence of Lukas, whoever that is.

"I'm sorry Miro. I just wanted you to be closer to me." He admits, which softens Miro's expression. 

He pulls an arm around the boy and tackles him. Thomas tries to fight back and they end up rolling in the grass. They're both laughing as they pretend to be fighting each other. 

"I surrender" Thomas yells after a while which leads Miro to laugh hard. Their friendship is really one of a kind, he thinks.

 

"And so after, he ran into my house with my father and dropped the soup _on his feet!!_ Can you believe it?! I thought my father would have killed him on spot, being the angry general that he is, but instead he took his shoe off and threw it at Bastian!"

Miroslav had noticed Thomas was like a radio machine, which he couldn't turn off. Not that he minded the company.

"Thank you for being my friend." Thomas lets out of the blue. They're both eating ice cream as they watch the sun set down on a bridge. Miroslav swallows his piece. It wasn't like Thomas to express himself like that.

"You too." He turns to his side. He's grown incredibly fond of the boy. 

"Miro... Can I go to Poland with you?" 

"Wouldn't you miss Basti and your family?" 

"I guess... But I think I miss you more when you're gone. I get bored."

"You just think that because you've never been away from them." Miroslav has a point, even if Thomas doesn't want to admit it.

"We'll be friends forever right?" He asks. 

Miro smiles. He's impossibly adorable.

"Yes, Thomas." 

"Promise?" 

"Yes."

"If you do something for me I'll believe you." 

Sometimes Thomas could be quite persistent, however. He had learnt to just go with it. 

"What?" 

"I dare you to jump in the water with your clothes on."

"How is that going to prove that we'll be friends for a long time?" Miro asks with a raised eyebrow.

"It just does." Thomas explains. "Will you do it or not?"

Miroslav looks at the water, it looks cold, if he's being honest. He looks back at Thomas who has an unpatient expresion.

"Well?"

"You're crazy enough to make me jump in there?"

"Yup." Thomas nods.

Miroslav waits for Thomas to stop him, but when he doesn't, he sighs and puts the ice cream cone on the floor. He climbs the bar and stands before the immensity of the water. He's probably going to regret this once he's in the water. He's about to jump when he feels a hand hold him back.

"Wait."

He turns to Thomas.

"What?"

"I don't want you to jump."

"What?" Miroslav repeats.

"I...I just wanted to know if you'd jump for me."

"Why would you want that?" Miro is really confused at this point.

"It's something Bastian said before I came here, when I told him you were my best friend. He said you probably didn't think of me the same way. He said you wouldn't jump into a fire for me. I know it's water but I wouldn't want you to burn..."

Miroslav rolls his eyes at the sky. Twelve year olds. He prepares himself to step down back when he takes an unexpected slip. He loses his balance and next thing he knows his head is in the water. 

It's as freezing as it looked. He gasps for air to look for Thomas, who's not on the bridge anymore. A splash next to him indicates where he is. 

"Miro!" He shouts. "I told you not to jump!"

"I didn't jump, I slipped!" Miroslav explains, with an angry tone.

Thomas looks at him with round eyes.

"You _slipped_?" The young bavarian starts laughing. "You really slipped? Are you serious?" 

His laughter has become uncontrollable which makes Miro roll his eyes and splash him water. They end up throwing water at each other laughing.

"I jumped for you too though." Thomas makes him notice as he's swimming to the shore.

Miro rolls his eyes again, as a smile spreads itself across his face. He'd probably never forget this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Zwei

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basti finds a new friend and Thomas and Miro keep on deepening their friendship..

"Stupid Jew!"

Lukas walks home from school avoiding his classmates. The weather is freezing, and Lukas wishes the snow wasn't so thick. He's sick of school. It's been going on for a while, the endless bullying and even if he can't understand why he's being treated so bad he knows it's not his fault. It couldn't be. 

"Lukas!" An arm lands on his shoulder. It's no other than Bastian Schweinsteiger, the most popular kid in class. 

"Are you here to bully me too?" He annoyingly asks. He's not exactly in the mood. He remembers the time where he was genuinely liked. It's hard to get used to this new situation. Lukas considered himself a funny easy -going person, but since his father was Jew _and_ Polish, everything had changed. 

"No, I was wondering if you could help me with Math." 

It's important to add that Lukas was also at the top of his class. He tilts his head to the blond who's smiling. He has to admit Bastian has a nice smile.

"Are you serious?"  Bastian is usually the one to make his friends stop the bullying against him. He's always been the one he's liked the best from their group. Him and Thomas Müller, that is. They're both alright. 

"Well, you're really smart, and I'm going to fail this term if I don't do something... so, will you help me? I understand if you don't."

Lukas is still skeptical, and Bastian gets the hint.

"Listen... I'm not like my friends, I don't really care what you are, and what I am... I think we could be great friends, actually!" He gives Lukas a warm smile.

"Okay, I'll do it." He's not sure why he just agreed. "We can study at my house, if you want." He adds.

"That's be great, actually, thank you, Lukas."

The pair have arrived at Lukas' house. Bastian extends his hand waiting for Lukas'. He eventually gives his hand and they shake them for a moment.

"See you around!" Bastian runs away in the snow to the next door. He knows Thomas Müller lives there, another General-Nazi-born boy. He sighs.

What has he done?

* * *

"Miro, I have to talk to you about something."

"Hmm?"

"I..I'm..I.."

Miroslav turns his head to his friend as they both walk. He's looking at the ground. The pair are heading home from the meadow after the usual football match. The summer breeze through the trees relaxes them both. 

"What is it Thomas?" 

"I'm...I'm turning 14 next September, you know right?"

Miroslav is 19 himself, it's funny how fast time flies.

"You know what happens at 14 right?"

Miro thinks for a while, what happened when he was that age? "Hormones?" 

"Ye.. Wait, what? Hormones?"

"Are you trying to tell me you have _feelings_ for someone?" Miroslav teases. 

"What? No! I don't like anyone! Well, I do.. I don't.. That's not what I meant!" Thomas blushes, almost offended. 

"What's so bad then?"

"At 14, boys like.. me and Basti, we have to join the Hitler youth." Thomas finally says, his voice shaking with his head down. He even stops walking.

There's a silence between them. Miroslav looks at Thomas, who acts like he's committed a crime. 

"Thomas?" No change in the boy, his head is still looking at his feet. "Hey, Thomas."

Miroslav puts his hand on his shoulder. He even bends his knees to have the same height as him. He hears Thomas' words. "Are you angry at me?"

In Thomas' eyes, Miroslav has always been against Hitler and all his followers, even if he didn't say it like that. He was the first person he thought of when his father told him about his future as a SS officer, which Thomas didn't like at all. Besides, all that obnoxious talk of superiority had gotten on his nerves: Miroslav and Lukas were alright.

What if Miro was so mad he stopped playing football with Thomas? What if they stopped being friends? He could feel his eyes getting watery.

"Hey... Remember when you made me jump into a freezing lake?"

"You slipped." Thomas corrects him.

"Well, what did I promise?"

"That we'd be friends forever." 

"You joining the Hitler youth won't change that, if you don't want it to change." 

"But you hate Hitler!" He shouts. 

"I care about you more though. Beside, I don't hate him, I just don't agree with him, it's different. If you don't want to stop being my friend, I wont stop being yours."

Thomas' usual smile returns as he hears those words. He rushes his arms around Miro's body.

"Oh! I was so worried I thought you'd stop talking to me!" His warmth is so calming. "So, since that is settled. My dad wants me to invite you for supper Sunday night." Thomas turns around and keeps walking, as if he had said nothing important.

"What?" Miro asks following up. Night has fallen before them.

"We have great food, and my mother is nice, don't worry.. Just one thing..."

Miroslav doesn't reply, so Thomas goes on.

"I don't think mentioning you're from Poland would be a good thing... I didn't tell them, they don't like me hanging out with Poles, but I wouldn't want to stay away from you."

"I understand" Miroslav replies, not sure what to make of it.

 

 

Miroslav didn't really think of it much, until a few hours before he had agreed to meet with Thomas. An important question crosses his mind. 

"What am I going to wear?" 

He didn't really own fancy clothes, and it wasn't hard to guess Thomas was from a rather rich family. He had to look nice. He had found a nice shirt his mother had once given him for university, but never worn it. His grandfather had also helped with a tie. He had even done his brown hair with hair wax, which he had to admit wasn't much, to look even better. 

He walks to Thomas' house through the wide garden and rings the bell. It's terribly beautiful, and he can't help but wonder why he doesn't play football here. A nice old man opens the door in a suit and tie. Miro can guess it's the butler. He invites him in and he's blown away by the majestic room. Its roof is covered with beautiful patterns and the walls find themselves hanged with beautiful paintings. Until, Miro finds the red flag with the famous Nazi sign on it. It reminds him that the party won this year's elections. He really disliked Hitler, but it wasn't really his issue, being in Poland. 

It still makes him feel uncomfortable. 

"Miroooooooo!"

He turns to the stairs to find his friend dressed up properly running them down. Well, if proper was the word, his hair is still messy as ever. The boy is followed by a tall intimidating serious man. Miro swallows. It must be him. He's wearing a grey SS uniform with the Nazi symbol on it. Miro's stomach shifts. 

"Miroslav, I'm honoured to finally meet you. I'm Thomas' father: Georg Müller."

"Likewise." His voice is surprisingly normal to the stress his body is going through.

"How old are you?" 

"I'm 19 sir." 

The man nods as he turns around leaving the room. Miro breathes and even forgets Thomas is in the room.

"My dad can be creepy, I know, you'll get used to it thought."

"You didn't tell me he was a SS officer." He had always known his father had political tendencies, but he hadn't imagined them to be this clear.

"He's a general, actually. I think he's been in the same room as Hitler." He says, half ashamed. 

Miro nods as they both walk into the dinning room.

 

His mother was actually the opposite of his father. She would ask Miroslav what his favourite subjects were, his favourite writers, things Miro felt relaxed to talk about.

"Tell us about your parents." 

"My father died when I was young during the Great War, and I live with my grandfather, here at Chimsee."

"And your mother?" 

"She works in a bakery, which I why I focus on my studies."

"You're in university, I assume?" The woman asks, at some point.

"I am."

"Where exactly? You don't go to Munich's, do you?" 

Miroslav doesn't know what to reply. 

"I go to Warsaw University." He says in a lower tone, not knowing what to make up.

"Warsaw?" His father steps in. He shouldn't have said that. "Poland? Why would you go there?"

Thomas gives Miro a look and he knows he has to do something.

"It's rubbish, I know, but I wanted to see if Poland has something other to offer than Germany."

His father gives Miro a confused look, before his mother steps in and helps him. "I guess it can't hurt to learn from the Poles."

"Those Poles are idiots, like everyone who isn't German."

"Some Jews are also German." Thomas points out as he swallows a bit of soup, which surprises Miro.

"I told you not to mention Jews at the table!" Georg scolds him. 

There's an awkward silence, until his mother breaks it.

"Miroslav, Thomas tells me you're amazing at football! You teach him all kinds of tricks. I find it an amazing skill to have!" 

"Have you considered joining a professional team?" His father asks, forgetting the earlier subject.

Miroslav nervously laughs, he has considered that in the past, but he figures his career would be over too quickly. He's thankful the food is delicious and how the subject turns about it.

 

Thomas' mother, whose hair is as blond as his son's, decides to play the piano. After she's done, she sits next to Miroslav. Thomas has fallen asleep next to them on the couch, he pats him softly on the head. It's hard to believe he's already turning 14.

"Thomas really admires you." She points out.

Miroslav shakes his head. "He just really loves playing football."

She smiles, "I mean it, at school the kids were asked to write who they admired above all and why. Half the children wrote about Adolf Hitler, the other half wrote about their mother or father.. Here's what Thomas wrote."

She hands him a small piece of paper with the name  _Miroslav_ on it. Miro can't believe what he's seeing. Him? Thomas admires him? He smiles weakly to the woman who continues. He opens it and finds two entire sheets of Thomas' handwriting. The woman takes the paper back before he can read it though.

"I'm sure you wont guide him into trouble."

Miro doesn't quite follow. She catches his confused face.

"You see, Georg often tells us things are about to get better. He says we won the elections, and with Hitler, we will fix the country. It sounds too good to be true. I don't know if I should be telling you this, but I have a bad feeling. I'm probably being paranoid for no reason, but in case something happens to us, you must promise me you'll take care of him."

He's speechless, but then finds his way to nod. He takes a glimpse of the boy whose mouth is now open on the couch.

"I promise." He honestly can't imagine himself putting Thomas in harms way.

It's enough for her to smile again.

"I think I should be going, thank you for the food again." Miro looks at the time.

He walks up the door and the butler arrives quickly. Thomas' father joins him on the steps outside. 

"Miroslav... That's not a very German name, is it?" 

Miro turns to the man, in the dark, he looks ten times scarier.

"It... has a Slavic origin I think." 

"You should be careful with who you tell that. " 

"Sir?"

"Things are about to heat up and... you wouldn't want to be caught at the wrong place at the wrong time. My boy is rarely very fond of you, I don't understand why but I trust his judgement. Take care."

Miroslav feels his heartbeat go up. He nervously excuses himself again as he tries to let go of the first time he felt a different type of fear. 

_Why would he be careful about who he is?_

 

"How come you don't want to play football?"

"I'm just not in the mood." Miroslav sighs. 

Thomas pouts. "Let's play something else then! We can swim, or do races..." 

The winds blows between the branches at  their usual hideout in the meadow. 

"We should play truth or dare." Thomas finally decides on something.

The idea brings a smile to Miro's face, who sits up from the grass. 

"You first." Thomas starts.

Miro gives in because let's face it, it's been ages since he's played that silly game.  

"Okay... Um.. Truth or Dare?" 

"Dare." 

"I dare you.. to act like a dog for 5 minutes."

Thomas isn't impressed, but Miro can't help lacking ideas. 

"Have you even played Truth or Dare before?" 

Miro rolls his eyes away until he feels something on his leg. It's no other than Thomas on his knees pushing his head against Miro's body.

"You're supposed to pet me!" He whispers and Miro laughs. His hand travels to Thomas' messy hair. The boy smiles as he rolls in the grass. He can really do his part well.

"My turn now." He announces. Miro ponders, he knows Thomas well enough to figure if he asked for a dare, he'd end up in the lake naked or something worse.

"Truth." 

"Who do you fancy?"

The question takes Miro so off guard the smile drops. Him and Thomas had never really talked about _flirting_ or  _dating_ or  _feelings_ at all. He was a kid after all. Maybe he'd rather a dare after all. 

"I meant dare." He proudly says. Thomas raises an eyebrow, obviously not impressed.

"Okay, I dare you to tell me who you fancy." 

Miroslav laughs at the irony of his comeback, which earns a satisfied smile from Thomas.

It's not that he hasn't fancied anyone before, there was this girl in his class. Her name was Sylwia, and she seemed to show an interest in Miro. He liked her very much. She was really a nice girl, and they had kissed and even made out, but it wasn't something Miro payed too much attention to. His mind was elsewhere most of the time. He had to study everything he could. He was just not that into it.

Or maybe he just hadn't met someone that made him forget everything else yet. 

"I liked this one girl back in Poland, but it wasn't really a big deal, I don't think I'm made for romance.. you?" He tries to sum it up.

Thomas' smile disappears. It's almost a disappointed expression. Was he expecting Miro to be married with children?

"What about you?" 

"I don't like anyone, and I'll never like anyone again."

"Why not?" Miro asks, giving his friend a pat on his back. The thirteen year old shakes his head.

"Who have you fancied before?" He tries another path.

"I... No, I haven't... I've never had feelings for anyone." Thomas shakes his head again. 

Miroslav raises an eyebrow. It's not like the Bavarian to be this serious. "But you just said you'll never like anyone again." He points out.

Thomas looks at him with round eyes. "You're unbelievably smart, Miro..." He remarks, surprised. "But I can't tell.. I.."

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." Miro assures him, which makes Thomas relax a bit.

"Thank you." He replies.

Miro manages to find Thomas' ball with his feet and kicks it up enough to land in Thomas' hands.

"I think I'm in the mood now." 

 He's lying, but he knows it'll make Thomas feel better. And he's right, Thomas is already up and running. 

* * *

 

Bastian rides his bike around town. It's incredible how boring Munich could be without his best friend. Thomas gone for the summer as always with that Miroslav of his. Usually he'd hang with Franz, Max and the guys. But lately they've been more annoying than usual, always telling Lukas mean things. Bastian had had enough of them for a bit.

Lukas seemed like a pretty nice guy to Bastian actually. He  helped him with his grades back in the Winter. Basti will be forever grateful. He even told Lukas he was in his dept, whatever Lukas wanted.

Maybe he should see if he's doing anything. He bikes to his house, who happened to be right next to Thomas'.

He steps down and walks to the door. He's about to ring the bell when something stops him. What if Lukas doesn't want to hang out with him? He hesitates. Maybe Jews don't like people like him. 

"Bastian?"

He jumps to find Lukas behind him, with a puzzled look on his face. 

"Lukas! I was about to ring the bell looking for you, I was wondering if you felt like going for an ice cream!" 

"An ice cream?" 

"You have a bike right?"

Lukas nods, he can't believe the most popular kid at school wants to hang out with  _him._

"Well, come on then!" Basti gets his bike and rides it back to the street waving. 

"I.. I.. Okay." Lukas rushes without thinking and grabs it. 

 

They eventually reach the park and buy their ice cream. Bastian asks Lukas what he enjoys doing in his free time. They really talk about everything, it's amazing how they're able to open up to each other.

"It's always the same when Thomas is away." Bastian complains. "I'm glad you're here though, I'm not bored anymore." 

Lukas smiles, something inside him tells him Bastian is being honest.

"Hey... Wanna have fun?" Basti suggests with a wicked look on his face.

"What?"

"We should play a trick on someone..."

"A trick?" Lukas repeats.

"Have you ever played a prank on someone?"

Lukas nods, to Bastian's surprise. He was expecting Lukas to be more innocent. Boy, he just keeps getting better.

"I once placed a spider on my sister while she was sleeping. She almost killed me." He admits, laughing. 

"That's evil." Bastian is amazed. "We need a victim..."

He spots unwanted guests. Max is running through the park, it's not long before he sees the pair.

"Bastian? The hell are you doing with him?" 

Lukas looks away, obviously ashamed. Bastian frowns. 

"Nothing of your business." He coldly replies.

Max sighs. "If your father saw you with someone like him.." He would have continued if it hadn't been for Bastian's hands that had found his chest to push him down.

"What's wrong with you?" A whiny Max complains. "You don't even seem yourself lately." The Bastian he knew would have never dared to touch him.

"Leave Lukas alone." Bastian warns. He can feel his blood boiling. 

"Standing up for a Jew? _Really_?" Max repeats. 

"He's my friend! I told you to leave him alone." 

Lukas can't believe his eyes. When Max finally runs away, Basti turns to him. 

"I'm sorry about that, they can be so rude." 

The boy can't stop smiling however, which surprises Basti. He's so glad he has a friend. 

"I think we found who we can play our prank on..." Lukas smiles. 

"I like the way you think." Basti now shares Lukas' smile.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wasn't expecting so much schweinski but i couldn't resist sigh i'll probably throw hömmels soon tbh be warned  
> also the good thing is coming soon, i just need to set up this >:D


	3. Drei

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More summers in Chimsee are spent, and more stories to tell!

1935. 

Miro rushes down the usual dock where he'd usually meet Thomas, except he's not there. It's been so long since Miro has been on his own here at Chimsee, it's a strange feeling. Maybe his family chose to stay this year at Munich? Miro wasn't able to come last year, his mother being ill with pneumonia, he simply couldn't leave her. He did write Thomas about it, apologizing for all the missed football matches in advance. No reply had arrived from him though, leaving Miro hoping he had at least received it. His mother had healed over time to his relief. 

It couldn't hurt to go check his house, which isn't that far away from town anyway, right?

He walks in front of the huge gate. His mother was quite nice to him two years ago, he's sure she wouldn't mind if he rang the doorbell. A thought crosses his mind, what if Thomas got mad at him for not going? His stomach makes a noise.  

He's about to ring when the gate opens by itself. He hears shouting.

"Come on! Race you down to the beach!"

Miro catches a glimpse of two young boys running out of the gate. They stop at his sight. He's never seen the one on the left. his hair is very light, bordering white. He recognizes Thomas, who's standing next to him. He's grown far more than expected, Miro thinks. His height has increased and his face doesn't look so small anymore. He quickly figures he'll be turning 16 in September.

"Miroslav." Thomas says, out of shock, which brings Miro back from his thoughts. 

"Thomas!" He smiles. He can't deny he's glad to finally see him again. But Thomas doesn't smile, he looks like he's just seen a ghost. His friend speaks instead.

"Whoa! _This_ is the famous Miroslav?"

 _Famous?_ Miroslav shares a surprised look on his face. Thomas blushes at snaps at him.

"Bastian!"

Miro connects the dots. "Ah, you're Bastian, I've heard quite a lot about you."

"Likewise, he used to never shut up about you! He's been in love with you forever." Bastian shakes hands with him while Thomas' face is red like a tomato. 

Miroslav focuses on a part of his sentence. ' _He **used** to never.._' Did that mean he doesn't mention him anymore? A hole shifts in Miro's stomach, but he doesn't show it. Instead he smiles.  _  
_

"I should be going now." He calmly says. He directs himself towards his friend. "Nice to see you again." Thomas looks away to Bastian's surprise.

Bastian jumps in. "Don't you want to go swim with us?"

"He probably has better stuff to do." Thomas excuses Miroslav. 

Miro nods with a weak smile and walks away as he manages to hear Bastian asking Thomas.

"What was _that_ all about?"

It's not like Miroslav didn't actually have better things to do than go swimming. He had his books, who would never leave him. 

* * *

 

"So what's the deal?" Bastian asks as he jumps in the water. 

"The deal is that I have to convince my father to let me avoid the SS career path, I don't want to be a policeman who forgets how to smile." He shouts from the edge of the lake as soon as Bastian surfaces the lake. 

"Don't we all? Good try avoiding the subject, I was talking about Miro."

Thomas slips and falls his head first to the water. He gasps for air to find Bastian wheezing at him. He simply rolls his eyes and swims to the shore. 

"It's in the past." He says, pushing his body out of the water. 

"Well what did he do?" Bastian follows him.

"What?"

"You're obviously mad at him. You stopped mentioning him a long time ago, which I thought was rather odd. I figured he stopped being your friend, but that guy we met earlier wanted to see you."

"I'm not mad." Thomas denies. 

"He was clearly looking for you, no one else lives in that part of town, if you aren't mad, why didn't you let him come?"

Thomas decides it's better to ignore his friend. He climbs up the path again to do a proper jump into the water this time. 

 

Later, the pair are laying on the grass regaining their strength. 

"Isn't it wonderful out here?" Thomas sighs, he really loves spending his summers this way.

"Yeah, I used to think you only loved it because of Miroslav."

Thomas sits up at the name.

"Do you  _have_ to mention him?" His tone comes off as exasperation. 

"Relax, you're acting like he's your ex-boyfriend or something." Basti laughs.

Thomas rolls his eyes and lays back with an annoyed huff, his back facing Bastian. 

"What happened?" He tries again. 

Thomas can feel the tears forming in his eyes. His voice is shaking when he finally speaks after a while.

"I.. He.. He didn't come here last year, and I waited for him, I just felt... so disappointed. It's like I wanted us to be friends and he didn't even try. I just.. I just thought he'd never let me down."

"Did he say why he didn't come?" 

"I got a letter, he said his mother was sick an-"

"His mother was sick and you're mad at him?"

Thomas' face turns to Bastian, who has gotten up.

"It's not just that, it's easier if I'm not friends with him." Thomas takes a deep breath. "I keep getting into fights with my father because of him, his name is even Slavic you know? And.. I.. I just, it's easier okay? When I got the letter I couldn't help feeling bad, Chimsee wouldn't be the same. Dad told me this is exactly why we can't trust anyone who's not like us. He says they will let us down."

There's a silence before Bastian speaks again.

"Do you hear yourself?" 

Thomas doesn't say anything, maybe Bastian wouldn't really understand, he and Lukas have become best friends over the past two years, against all odds.

"I would have never believed to hear such words from you, Thomas. I thought you were different." There's no anger in Bastian's tone, just disappointment. "I think you're just scared of getting hurt. It's normal, even I was scared when I saw Lukas' dad get insulted in the street. But that shouldn't stop me from being there for him. And for your information, being different isn't a bad thing. Sure, it's harder, but can't you see it's worth it? Some people are worth fighting for."

Thomas still doesn't reply. 

"I'll catch you back at your place... Didn't you say that you used to hang out in a field or something? We should go sometime."

Bastian grabs his towel and faces the path where they came from. Thomas feels an emptiness embrace him. He can't deny what Bastian just said. His hand wipe away his tears. What an idiot he's been, and now he's lost Miro. 

He needs to find him. 

Thomas gets up and rushes to the path he's always known these years, the meadow.

* * *

 

Miroslav kicks his ball into the field. It's a perfect shot on target that would make the crowds go mad. Never mind the crowds, it would make a special person go mad.

Except no one is around to watch. 

Reading didn't help either, all he kept thinking was of Thomas' expression with his friend's words echoing in his head. _He used to never shut up about you!_

He gives up after a few steps and lays down in the familiar ground, where he's been so many times before. 

Being here actually helps, Bastian's voice fades into the wind in his ears. He could fall asleep here under Southern Germany's warm sun. His eyes close themselves in a relaxing way, hoping to forget about everything around him for a moment. His mind is only focusing on the way the wind blows against his skin.

Thomas can barely catch his breath. He jumps over the rocks, over everything until he eventually trips and rolls down a path. He groans before remembering his objective. He gets up but as he tries running again, a vague of pain crosses his leg. He stumbles and falls again. He can feel his eyes get watery from his frustration. He's so close, the meadow is down the road.

He's not even sure if Miroslav will be there, but he has to try. He gets up and limps his way there, groaning with each step he takes. When he finally figures out the entrance, he throws himself at the ground and crawls, to avoid using his hurt knee.

He's there. He's in the meadow. Except Miro isn't there. Thomas feels all his strength go in vain and stumbles to the ground. The tears want to come, but he fights them off. Maybe someone will find him when they're passing around. 

A ball. It's no ordinary ball, it's Miroslav's football.

Hope.

He tries to get up the best he can, and takes another look, still no one to be seen. 

"Where are you?" He whimpers. He takes a look at his leg, which is giving him enormous pain. No blood on it, it's probably broken, he figures.

He tries moving towards the ball, his leg doing the minimum effort he can handle. He hugs the ball. It's definitely a relief, and more than that, it's a new perspective, from this angle, he notices a part of the grass has an uneven patron. He continues to crawl in that direction. 

There he is, in the middle of the grass, sleeping. He's freaking sleeping!

Thomas' heart finally relaxes as he lets himself go next to him. He'd continue groaning but he doesn't want to wake Miro up.

They lay together for a while. Eventually, his leg stops hurting, since he hasn't moved it in a least a few hours, which clears his mind. Thomas' eyes find Miro's sight from time to time. He knows he has to find Miro's forgiveness, even laying next to him again is comforting. He remembers Bastian's words.

"You're worth fighting for." He whispers.

It's during one of the times Thomas dares to look at Miro when his eyes start opening. Thomas automatically blushes and turns back. He hears Miro's grunts and sleepy sounds. 

"Thomas?" 

At his name, he slowly faces his friend. The sun has already begun to set down, and the sky is turning into a warm orange. 

"I'm so sorry Miro, I shouldn't have acted the way I did, I... I was foolish."

"How did you even find me?" Miro asks, surprised. He's looking around the meadow as he yawns.

"I had help from the ball." He admits.

Miro's not sure how to react. 

"What happened, Thomas?"

He feels he might get a heart attack from this conversation.  

"I was angry... But you did nothing wrong." He quietly says. How could he explain? He was thinking exactly the same way Miro warned him all these years. "I...I.. I don't want to be against you. I don't know what to do. I want us to be friends, but I'm just not sure it's the right thing. Everyone says it's a bad thing,, even if I don't agree... But I don't know what the right thing is anymore. All I know is that I don't want to stop seeing you."

"Then don't."

Thomas stops and looks at Miro, who's now sitting in front of him. His face is as calm as ever. 

"It's okay to be against the flow. What's important is that you are sure in what you believe in. If you want to be like your father, it's okay too.. you just have to be sure you want that."

"I don't want to be like him." He's right. He hates himself for letting the teachers words into his brain ever since he joined that new school. Miro smiles and Thomas could swear he can feel how his body is relaxing.

"I love you, Miro!" Thomas spills out, tears in his eyes. Shortly, he feels Miro's arms wrap themselves around him. He didn't want to say it like that, but the words simply found their way out. Miro wasn't replying. 

"Miro?" 

Thomas had to admit that after such a confession, he needed a reply. 

"You're very important to me too, Thomas." Miro smiles. "You'll always be my best friend." 

Thomas swallows. _Best Friend?_   Thomas was sure he loved him more than in a... ahem... _best friends_ way, it was different that the way he loved Basti. Maybe it's better this way, he is after all, 21, whereas he is only 15. Maybe he didn't love him like that, maybe it was just that he admired him so much.

That's probably it. 

Thomas admired Miro more than anyone in the world. 

"Let's go home" The Pole announces. 

He gets up and waits for Thomas to join him. He offers his hand. 

"Eh, Miro.." 

He takes it and when Miro pulls in he can't help but groan because of his poor leg.

"What happened?" A flash of concern flashes through Miro's face. Thomas can't even stand: as soon as he pulled him, he falls into Miro's body.

"I ran here too fast and tripped... and I fell on my legs... I think it's broken or something..." 

"Why didn't you tell me??"  

Thomas smiles. "I needed you to forgive me, dumbo." 

"Oh, please." Miro rolls his eyes as he puts Thomas' arm around his shoulders. "Come on, let's go."

They're walking down the path when Thomas feels the first drop of water on his head. He turns to Miro who has acknowledged the situation. He tries to speed up but fails with Thomas' whimpers. 

The rain shows no mercy towards them and in the next 5 minutes, they're already soaked in water under the pouring rain. Thomas can't help but laugh at the situation.

"Only you would be so happy with a broken leg!" Miro makes him notice. 

"My parents are going to kill me!" Thomas laughs even harder. 

At one point, Miro places one of his feet in a big puddle underestimating it's depth. His leg goes far in and he stumbles with Thomas. He manages to avoid contact with the ground at one cost. Thomas groans in pain.

"Your parents will kill me first." Miro apologizes.

 

 When they finally reach his house who never seemed further to Miro, night has fallen on them. 

 "You're getting old enough to walk home alone, by the way." He teases.

Ignoring Miro's remark and against his current situation, Thomas finds a calm feeling he hadn't felt in a while. He knows Miro is to blame. He really wants to hug him properly. 

It's all interrupted by Bastian.

"Where on earth have you two been? I had to tell your parents you've been all afternoon in the bathroom because you ate a spoiled fish!" Miro smiles. "You're both soaking wet." He points out.

"Where are the folks?" Thomas asks, finally sitting down on the porch. 

"They had a party at some place. So.... you're _the_ Miro" Basti's attention is drawn to Thomas' friend.

"I am."

"You're from Poland?" Miro looks at Thomas who smiles back at him. He replies. "I am, I'm very fond of it."

"Poles are cool, you should visit us at Munich, I bet you'd have so much fun! Listen..." 

Thomas is amazed by how nicely Bastian and Miroslav are able to keep a conversation. He's glad he convinced him to come to Chimsee. Bastian helped more than he knew.

 

 


	4. Vier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another summer at Chiemsee, and Lukas has to go away, much to Basti's regret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my god so i'm so sorry for the lack of updates, but I finally got inspired and I hope it'll stay for a while, I hope you enjoy!! :)

"Leaving?" Bastian echoes Lukas' words as the boy packs his clothes. "What do you mean leaving?"

"We can't stay here, dad says things are getting worse than ever for us."

"You can't leave! You can stay with us! I'll make my dad--"

Lukas sighs as he puts on his jacket. "I'm sorry, Basti. I'm sure England will be fine though, we're moving to London, too! Maybe I can play football there too."

"Will you come back?" 

"I don't know." Lukas admits, which makes Bastian's stomach turn. He can't let his best friend slip away just like that. "You'll still have Thomas though, he's not going to go away either."

"Well he always goes away during the summer, and it's not the same..." Bastian pouts. 

The boys walk outside and Lukas' father gives them the sign. It's time. 

"Thank you for being my friend." Lukas cheerfully adds before walking to his father with his suitcase. Bastian can't even find the words to say something. He knows it's for the best. Jews are every passing day less welcomed in Germany, and he knows they'll be happier in London. 

"You'll write to me though, promise."

Lukas nods before walking to his father and they both wave goodbye. 

Bastian knows they'll be happier, but he can't help feeling empty inside. As much as he loves Thomas, Lukas and him had some sort of connection. They could talk to each other without saying a word. I guess that's what distance feels like. For the first time in his life, he understands what Thomas had felt like all these years.

* * *

 Thomas opens his eyes. He's in his room, on his bed looking straight into the ceiling. He sighs. 

"What on earth are you doing, lazy pants?" Bastian's voice comes out of nowhere which makes Thomas jump.

"Bastian!" 

"The butler let me in. You're so boring just sleeping the weekend away. You're supposed to be the happy one, I'm sad because Lukas left."

"I was meditating." Thomas excuses himself. 

"About what?" 

Bastian's raised eyebrow immediately intimates Thomas who in response, alls back on his stomach. He takes a deep breath and starts.

"My dad keeps asking me why I haven't gone out with a girl yet... He's been really pushy about it. So i asked, Lisa, you know, the girl who lives down the street. Dark blond hair and green eyes."

"Really? You and Lisa? And then?" Bastian doesn't even bother to hide his amusement.

"I did ask her out, and we walked around town, to the parks, but... I don't know... She calls herself my girlfriend and I just... "

"What?! How didn't I know about this? How does she kiss?"

The boys are 17 now, and all of their friends had already gone out with someone at this point. Bastian giggles at Thomas giving the ceiling another sad look.

"I don't want her to be my girlfriend." 

"Then dump her. Simple as that." Bastian adds, finally seeing his friend's pain. 

"I can't, my dad will kill me... I'm just... I'm just not feeling anything. I'd rather be somewhere else. I'm not sure I'm fit for love."

"Don't be silly. Everyone's fit for love. You just haven't met the right person yet, or you don't know you've already met that person. It's someone who makes your heart beat so fast the world stops spinning for a moment and all you know is that they're with you. You're doing a normal activity and you feel your heart burst with emotions you don't even understand." 

Thomas laughs. "Sounds too good to be true." 

"It's true though, you connect with that person in a way you can't connect with anyone else and you just know... You're happy to help them whatever it takes, and you're so unselfish, even if they go away, you know it's for the best." Bastian's voice fades.

"Who made you the love expert?" Thomas mocks him.

Bastian smiles. He will see Lukas again, whatever time it takes.

* * *

"Miro!" 

Thomas shouts desperately across town. Miro is 23 now. He's so anxious to see him. So much, that he's jumping across so recklessly he accidentally trips and falls, which well, is rather a common sight for Thomas. 

"Calm down there." 

Thomas looks up to find no one else but Miro smiling down at him. It's funny how Thomas can never forget his smile. He helps him up. He notices Miro's shirt is unusually covered in mud. Miroslav Klose always has his clothes clean. 

"I'm so sorry Thomas, would you mind waiting a bit longer today? I'm in the middle of something, I just came to warn you."

"What's up?" Thomas can't stop smiling his usual smile. He's just so happy to be with Miroslav.

"My grandfather... He needs help with something, I thought it wouldn't take this long but..." 

"I can help you!" Miro seems surprised and Thomas insists.

"Come on, show me the way."

Miro smiles as he starts walking in the opposite direction.

* * *

 "It's not much, but it's home." Miro tries to excuse himself as they walk to the small house next to the lake. It's up on a hill and the water slowly brushes the shore. 

"You never told me you lived right next to the water." Thomas makes him notice.

In fact, Thomas realizes he doesn't know that much about Miro's background. He was always too young to fully understand it. But now things are different, Thomas is older and he's ready to prove himself to Miro. 

"Well, he really likes fishing." The pole explains. 

"Your gran-"

"Miroslav!" They're interrupted by an old man who walks up from the shore. "And you brought a friend? I didn't know you even had friends." He's wearing a plaid shirt and black shorts, all covered in dirt. 

Thomas blushes as he waves hello as Miroslav puts an arm around him. He has to admit the sudden touch makes him unexpectedly happy. 

"This is Thomas. I've known him ever since I started coming here, I'm sure I told you about him before."

The man squints at them both, then nods. "Well what are you waiting for then?" They follow him and Thomas notices the ground is uneven: someone has been digging up. There are mountains of dirt mixed with mud everywhere. He doesn't have to ask Miro to explain.

"We found a note this morning, from my grandmother, in my room, the attic. She passed away a long time ago, due to sickness. She knew she was going to die and she had a necklace my grandfather gave her, but he thought she had lost it, because he never recovered it. Now, on that note,  she claims to have buried it outside this house, somewhere, in a box. It means a lot to him to get it back..."

"That's so romantic. He really must have loved her." Thomas says without thinking.

Miro smiles and throws a shovel at him. "So, start digging." 

* * *

 It's not long before night falls upon them. Miro's grandfather has gone inside to rest. Thomas' face is covered in mud, all you can see are his eyes. Miro finally puts the shovel in the ground and sits next to it. He's exhausted. Thomas takes the opportunity to sit next to him. The moon's reflexion on the water is strong enough for them to see each other.

"So what's new with the most Bavarian kid I know?" Miro turns to him. Thanks to the mud, he can't see a thing beside his eyes. He's never noticed Thomas' eyes had more than one color. The blue of his eyes mixes up with green and brown. 

"I'm not a kid anymore, Miro. I'm turning 18 in September." 

"Sorry, I guess I'm used to seeing you tell me Munich and Chiemsee aren't in the same region." He winks.

Thomas blushes. "I was a child!" 

He chuckles. There's a small wind that makes Thomas shiver. Chiemsee has always been his happy place, but he knows it would have never been the same if he hadn't met Miro. In a moment he just focuses on Miro. His smile is so thin yet so honest. Making Miro smile always seemed like an accomplishment for Thomas, which he managed to do it often. His eyes are looking at the ground. Thomas could have stayed a long time just watching him, but unfortunately Miro realises how late it is and jumps. 

 

"Will your parents be mad?"

The pair are almost at Thomas'. Miro used to walk Thomas home out of necesity but now it's more of a normal thing to do.

"Mom might freak out, Dad will probably kill me, it was worth it though."

"See you tomorrow?" Miro smiles. 

"Yeah." Thomas nods returning the smile. 

* * *

"Nazis are taking over the world, it's only a matter of time before they get you too, pest!" Miro feels someone push him to the ground. He groans as he turns to find a couple of students about his age. "Miroslav, they'll be sure to take you first and kill you! Haha!" He wants to fight them so badly, but as he stands up, one of them unexpectedly grabs his hands and twists them. As much as he tries to wrestle, it's useless. 

Miro jumps on his bed, sweating. His eyes open wide: It was only a bad dream. With every passing day, he can't help feeling more and more worried. He's heard such rumors about what's going on he just doesn't know what to believe anymore.

The sun through the window lets him know it's not so early anymore and he figures it's best to get up. He grabs the first pair of pants he can find and puts them on. It's strange his grandfather didn't wake him up as he usually does. 

He walks down the small set of curved stairs into the living room. No sight of him either. His stomach asks for food and so, after a nice meal of bread and jam, he finally decides to check outside. 

The sun is shinning beautifully above and the wind is soft as ever. Typical Bavarian weather. He can't help but close his eyes. The combination of warmth on his chest with the wind on his face makes him relax so nicely from the dream. Miro thinks he really must be being unreasonable. He could have stayed like that for hours, if it weren't for the sudden interruption.

Miro opens his eyes to the sound of his granddad laughing hysterically. He's not alone though, and Miro drops his mouth at the sight of Thomas equally amused. What on earth is he doing there so early?

"Miro! You're awak--" The messy haired boy's eyes light up at the sight of his friend. 

"What are you do-... What is this?" Miro can't hide his confusion, he doesn't even try to. His grandfather is quick to explain. 

"Your friend here got here at six in the morning and started digging all on his own! Can you believe it? So i figured I would help him out... And then..."

Thomas stands next to the man with a well known grin on his face. Part of him just noticed Miro is shirtless, and can't feeling shy about it. He doesn't get it. He's seen him shirtless before a billion times, basically every time they have gone swimming, or just playing football, yet it's the first time he's actually focused on it. He's obviously never noticed how nice his chest looks. Thomas' chest is as thin as a stick. It's eventually too much to look at directly. He looks down with the same smile on his face. 

"That's really nice of you, Thomas." Miro's expression has shifted to a warm smile. "Let me get some clothes and I'll help you both."

Miro comes back with a shirt on (to Thomas' disappointment) and his grandfather excuses himself, he needs to go to buy fruits and vegetables downtown. 

"Did you parents say anything about the dirt?"

"Nah, they haven't found out yet. I left all my dirty clothes in the bathroom." 

Miro laughs, but the smile fades and a look of concern crosses his face. After a while of them digging, he throws the shovel to the ground. The place is filled with mountains of dirt everywhere. 

"What's wrong?" Thomas puts down his shovel as well.

"Are we even sure the thing is here?" Miro looks up at the sky. "It's no where to be found!"

Thomas looks around, he understands Miro's exasperation. "But, we can't give up!" 

"What's the point?" Miro starts walking towards the lake. Thomas can watch how he takes off his shoes and puts his feet in the water. He decides to follow him, it's obvious there's something is wrong with him. 

"What's really wrong Miro?" Miroslav turns, he hadn't noticed Thomas followed him, though it's not really surprising "You can tell me." 

There's a tranquility in Thomas' voice which brings Miro's feelings down. The annoyance and stress he had a moment ago simply starts to fade.

"I guess I do trust you more than anyone I know, I just... I haven't told this to anyone... ever." 

Thomas' heart is beating really fast, the fact he puts so much trust in him makes him so happy he could burst. 

"I'm Polish, you know that, but I don't think you know that my name is also from a Slavic origin, my mom's ancestors have Slavic ethnic origins. and Hitler isn't exactly too friendly to those people. If I didn't know better, I'd say he would have all the people he doesn't like dead."[  
](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitler)

"But there are a lot of Slavs and Jews, he can't kill them all, can he?"

"No, I guess he can't, still though, it worries me something might happen to my mother, or even to my grandfather, for being linked to someone like me."

There's a silence as Thomas processes the information. Miro is right. It's easy to see how everyday they're treated worse and worse. Lukas for example, had to leave Munich. But it's Miro, the straight A student who has never done anything wrong in his life. Nothing could ever happen to him. He's not a Jew. 

"Nothing bad will happen to you."

Thomas' tone is dark, and Miro has to admit he's never seen his friend so serious. "It's rubbish, I know." Miro sighs, as he walks out of the water and sits on a big rock. It's not long before Thomas joins him. 

"I promise I'll do anything to protect you and your family." 

Miro smiles, even if they both know it's not up to Thomas, he loves his friends' way of dealing with problems. 

"As long as you promise something." He adds.

"What?" Miro asks.

"To protect me too, if something ever happens." 

He's not sure how that he let that out. He curses his ability to burst out thing without thinking, and the next thing he knows, Thomas is blushing intensely. He tries to cover it up looking away, trying to make some useless comment on how the weather is really warm today. He has no idea why, but he really feels safe at Miro's side. Maybe because he's admired him so long, but he likes it.

"You don't need to ask that, it's always been like that." Miro decides to reply. "And thank you, I do feel better."

It's Thomas' turn to be surprised now. He stares at his friend with his mouth wide open. Miro gives him the calmest smile he's ever had. Eventually Thomas manages to smile back at him. He's lost for words, and his chest feels warm, except he knows it's not the sun. 

"Hey! Miroslav!" Miro turns to his grandfather waving for the top of the hill, next to the mountains of dirt. The Bavarian is glad, because Thomas has to take a moment to recover from that: His heart is beating so fast.

"I think I found something!"

The boys run to him and he has a box in his hands. It's rusty and old. Thomas' eyes grow wide.

"Is that..?"

"It was on this side of the house." He points to a place where a shovel is resting.

Miro smiles. "Well, what are you waiting for?" 

The man carefully analyses it and opens it slowly. He pulls out a golden chain with an amulet on it. His eyes get watery and a tear escapes his eyes.

"Oh, Annie.." 

Thomas and Miro share a look of satisfaction. It's a moment none of them will forget, to add up to their memories together. 

 


	5. Fünf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With everything going on, Thomas and his family can't continue going to Chiemsee, which means, no Miro for Thomas anymore.

"Austria is now a part of Germany. It's on the papers, on the radio. It's everywhere." Thomas' dad anounces at the dinner table.

"Georg, don't talk about war at the table, it is not the time." His wife scolds him.

Thomas looks down at his bowl of soup. It was a rumor for quite a while that Germany was going to have Austria join them. He doesn't agree one bit with Hitler though, not that he'd let his parent know that.

"There's been talking," His dad starts towards his mom. "I believe Hitler's eyes Poland too, like Austria." 

Thomas almost chocks on the word. His worst fear had indeed been that something happened with Poland as well. His parents seem to ignore him, thankfully. His mother replies. 

"But Poland isn't going to agree. They don't trust Hitler. The URSS isn't going to let that happen either"

"I think they may reach an agreement, it means invading Poland."

"But that's declaring war!"

Thomas can't take more of the conversation so he bursts out.

"May I be excused?"

He doesn't even wait for their reply, in fact, he gets up and runs upstairs. When he's about to get into his bedroom he stops. His mother's voice is loud enough for him to hear.

"That means they'll look for the young ones, we can't let Thomas go to war."

A scary thought passes his mind. He's heard of wars and what they involve. They're usually portrayed as glorious, and honourable. A man who dies for his country is considered a great man. Thomas understands it, giving so much as your entire life for something. But that's exactly it. It involves dying. It involves destruction. He couldn't understand why everyone looked forward towards going at war. 

Seems like his parents seemed to think otherwise. 

"He could die Georg!"

"Are you saying he wouldn't be a great soldier? Can you imagine him being decorated by Hitler himself? Such an honour."

"It's not worth the risk. I don't want to lose my only son. If a war is co-"

"A war _is_ coming, sooner or later!" 

"Take him away, somewhere, give him a job where he's needed so he has an excuse to stay home."

There's silence, until his father speaks again. "I think they're looking for young people who don't ask questions at those new camps. We could tell the Schweinsteigers about their son as well."

Thomas' eyes grow wide. It's not fair. He doesn't exactly deserve more privileges than others. He decides to give up on eavesdropping. A war is coming, and there's nothing he can do about it, except one thing. He needs to warn Miro.

* * *

It's the first night back at Chiemsee, and Thomas finds his mother downstairs with a worried look on her face. Tomorrow he will finally see Miro again. He sits next to her and puts his arm around. 

"Are you okay?" 

She sighs. "Thomas... I need to tell you something. I feel selfish not letting you know. We wont be coming back here."

"What do you mean we're not coming back?" Thomas can barely repeat the words. He even stands up.

"I'm sorry Thomas. We need to sell this house in order to keep our normal lives in Munich. You will also be going to a camp in September, they need young workers there. Perfect for you. Your father has it arranged. Bastian will go with you."

He looks around his favourite summer house. He's been coming every summer since he can remember, it's the highlight of his year. No Chiemsee would mean...

"But what about Miro?" His tone is quiet, he doesn't want his mom to notice how upset he is. 

"Thomas. I know how close you and Miro are, but there's nothing we can do about it."

"I just-" Thomas gets up and tries to find his way upstairs. He can feel the tears forming in his eyes. Suddenly, he notices the main door and tries to run for it. He doesn't care anymore. He can hear his mother calling him out, but all he wants is to be alone.

It's raining, but he doesn't even pay attention to it. All he does is run. It must be at least 11 pm, if not later.

He knows the path to his house, and gets there in a heartbeat. He wants to knock the door, but it _is_ late. He just wants to see him. He sits down the porch and lets the tears fall down his cheeks. What he'd give to be a kid again and play with Miro in the meadow.

It must have been no more than 10 minutes before he hears him. 

"Thomas?" 

He looks up to find Miroslav standing in front of the house, looking concerned with a pair of bags in his hands. He's soaking wet as well from the rain. Thomas immediately feels better when he sees him. He gets up and wraps his arms around him. Miro drops the bags to hug him back.

"What's wrong? I didn't even know you were in town yet." He muses. 

"I was... I just.. I just..." Thomas can barely speak, and Miro notices.

"Shhh, calm down. It's okay. Come on, let's go inside."

Miro invites him inside and rushes to the bathroom to grab a towel. Thomas feels it fall on his head and Miro's pair of hands shake it a bit. He sniffs and slowly manages to stop the tears, Miro doesn't make any remark on it. He watches him put the bags away. 

"Are you cold?" Miro asks, looking at Thomas' thin shirt. He shakes his head, even if he's lying a bit. Miro can see right through him though. It's as if Thomas had replied he was cold, because he gets a sweater and puts it around his shoulder.

"Your blue lips tell me otherwise... There, that's better." The look of concern in Miro's eyes makes Thomas' stomach stir. "Are you hungry?" 

Thomas shakes his head once again, but this time he means it. Miro smiles. He wonders if Miroslav isn't cold, he got wet too after all.

"Well I'm starving. I had to go all the way to get new materials to fix the roof." He walks to the kitchen and takes out a bottle of milk. For a moment, Thomas forgets about what's causing him so much pain. He watches Miro eat. He really does enjoy being with him, even if they're both quiet and wet in his living room. But the thought does come back, and Thomas sighs fighting the tears again.

Miroslav notices immediately. He's never seen Thomas like this before. It's a complete new side to his friend. 

"Come on, let's go upstairs." He tells him. "I assume you're staying the night?"

Thomas blushes and Miro simply adds, half amused. "It's okay, I could use the company." 

 

"What about your grandfather?" Thomas manages to find his first set of words. 

"He's not home, someone in Berlin sent him a telegram. He left a note on the door when I got here." He explains as he tries to organize his room a bit. He was indeed not expecting visitors. 

Thomas nods.  He's sitting on Miro's bed when the lights suddenly go off. The Pole groans. "Not again, sorry. This happens a lot when it rains."

He gets a glimpse of Miro lighting up a candle. He leaves it on the night stand and turns to Thomas. 

"Now, if you're staying I can't let you sleep soaking wet." He hands Thomas a set of clothes. The Bavarian can't help but blush. Is he supposed to change in front of Miro? 

"I'll go downstairs and change myself, you do the same. I'll be right back."

What was he even thinking? Thomas rolls his eyes at himself. In a heartbeat, he's changed into Miro's warm clothes and looks at the bed. It's noticeable how small it is. Very small. 

"You can have that bed, I'll sleep in my grandfather's." Miro's voice comes from behind and startles him. Miro gives him an apologetic smile. 

He lays down on the bed in front of Thomas and looks at the ceiling.

"Did you know water used to leak through the roof sometimes? One time the water even woke me up."

"You never told me that." Thomas notices.

"Grandfather had it fixed the next year, and it was probably before we met. I must have been 11 or so."

"I can't really imagine you as a kid" Thomas admits, before laying in the bed next to him. It's warm since there's not much space and he really likes it. It's not long before he realises the warmth comes from Miro. They stay a moment in silence and Thomas remembers what happened earlier. The fact he'll never see Miro again here makes his heart ache so much. He feels the tears forming again. When he turns to Miro he's surprised to find him staring back. Has he been watching him all this time?

"You worry me," He lets out. "I don't remember ever seeing you this upset before."

Thomas sniffs. He doesn't want to worry him at all, but he can't really hide how he feels. He takes a deep breath. 

"I'm not... I'm not coming back... ever." Thomas manages to whisper with his voice shaking. Miro's eyes are still on him. They're calm as ever and Thomas closes his eyes as if it will shield him from being exposed. There's silence. 

He opens one eye to find Miro looking at the ceiling. He can tell he looks sad as well. 

"I guess it would happen eventually... but if we're being honest, I don't think I'm coming back either." Miro admits.

Thomas' eyes open wide. "What? But your granddad!" 

"My granddad. He's not in Berlin for normal things, he's probably being questioned about me, about my mother. Why would a good German man have a Pole with him every summer? People have been talking. It's dangerous for him if I keep coming here. Especially with how things are turning out. I'll be doing him a favour, it's... eh.. probably best for you too if you don't see me anymore."

"Miro!" The Pole turns his head to Thomas. The space between them is unusually short. "I don't want to stop being friends with you. I don't care what anyone says." His tone is annoyed, as if he had offended him. 

"Haven't you heard what happens to people who defend Jews? I don't want anything to happen to you because of me! I would never forgive myself" 

"I'm not going anywhere, I mean I am, but I'll still be with you, no matter what the distance, no matter where we go!"

Miro sighs and smiles. "You really are unique, Thomas." He pulls his body to his own and holds him for a moment, before starting again. "I... We will see each other again. I promise... I care about you too, silly. We'll still write to each other as we usually do. Maybe we can meet somewhere else?"

Thomas pulls away for a moment. "Don't forget me."

Miro raises an eyebrow. "You're in my bed, in the middle of the night, would you really think I could forget you so easily?"

"Well... I don't know... maybe you have another friend like me back in Poland?" 

"Thomas, don't ever worry about that." 

"I'll also be going to a working camp in September." Thomas explains. "My parents seem to think they're protecting me. If I get there, and war starts, I wont be going to the front. I get to stay."

"If things keep going this way, Hitler's going for more territories, and other countries might not be happy about that. They're right to send you there."

"I overheard my dad saying they're going for Poland, it's not safe for you to go there."

"Oh I know, we all know over there. It's a matter of time."

"I'm worried."

"How about I tell you a story?"

"I'm not a kid anymore." Thomas warns him again. "I don't want anything bad happening to you.."

"It's the World Cup final: Germany are up against a deathly enemy: Brazil. Thomas Müller is in the line-up with Miroslav Klose, oh what a pair they make together, Müller always giving assists and Klose heading the ball in the goal! Tonight will be an important match for them."

Thomas shakes his head in disapproval. Miro knows he's imagining it in his head. He continues.

"It's kick-off! And Bastian Schwe- What's his last name I always forget?"

Thomas laughs. "Schweinsteiger."

"Bastian Schweinsteiger is quick to get the ball up to the goal-keeper, before dribbling it to Lukas, who passes it back. The crowd goes wild as everyone expects the match of the year. It's five minutes before half time, Brazil has the ball, and they pass the penalty area before they shoot, and miss! What a chance for Brazil, unbelievable! It's up the Germans to fight back! It's two minutes down for the end of the game, after a hard moment of extra time added. The crowd no longer knows how to feel, they have suffered along with both teams all this time. Who will take the World Cup home?"

Thomas jumps in.

"The ball falls to the Brazilian side, but oh! Schweinsteiger has intercepted a pass, he passes it to Thomas Müller, who's way up with Miroslav Klose!"

"Thomas Müller makes a wonderful dribble, his skills are out of the world, the crowd loses it!"

"And he gives a pass to the one and only Klose, who finds the ball into the net. It's in! It's in!"

"Germany are world champions!" 

Thomas' smile is back on his face. Miro's quite satisfied with himself. He continues.

"Now how on earth will the National Team celebrate this amazing victory?" 

Miro turns to the side noticing Thomas has fallen completely asleep. He smiles, at least he'll have nice dreams tonight. 

 

Sunlight is the first to wake Thomas up. It's now been a month of him at Chiemsee, and he's been dreading every passing day. He doesn't want to let Miro go. It's their last day together. This night, they're going back to Munich.

He rushes down to the meadow after eating a healthy breakfast. He's not angry at his parents, they seem to understand him. It's not their fault after all. 

Miro is already there. He really fills his days with happiness, without any effort at all. 

"Do you want to go swimming?" Miroslav suggests after calling it a day of football.

"I'm good." He wants to enjoy as much as he can this moment. The late evening sun is hitting both of them. 

"Thomas, there's something I want to give you."

The blond turns to his friend who pulls out a little box from his pants. He hands it to him nervously. Thomas opens it, and he doesn't believe his eyes.

"I can't take this!" 

"Thomas, please."

He takes out the necklace they both found a couple of years ago for his grandfather. 

"You see, this necklace protects those you care about. She gave it to him in order to keep him safe when she knew she was going away. Even if she, well buried it. Last year, he handed it to me and told me to find someone worthy enough to keep safe. Thing is, I know who I want safe above everything."

Thomas can't believe it. He's stuck between looking at Miro and looking at the necklace. 

"That way, no matter how far you are, you'll still have a part of me." 

Miro feels his cheeks blushing a bit. He almost doesn't notice Thomas tackling him to the ground.

"Thank you so much." 

They stay lost in the grass for a moment, as they both want it to last forever. 

Miro walks Thomas home as he has done it all these years before. Thomas can't help but feel emotional. "Promise me you'll write to me as often as you can."

"You need to write to me first, I wont know your new address." Miro reminds him.

"Right."

Thomas' parents are on the porch by the time they both arrive. His father heads into the car and starts it. It's time for them to go. 

"Miroslav!" His mother approaches him. "It's so nice to see you again. I really need to thank you so much for taking care of Thomas all these years."

Miro smiles and nods. "It's been a pleasure."

"I'll leave you two to say your goodbyes." She walks into the car waving goodbye and Thomas sighs. 

"I was scared she wouldn't give us a moment."

The younger turns to Miro, who's looking down. Without hesitation, he moves closer to him and hugs him. Miro embraces the hug. He's getting emotional as well.

"Take care of you." Thomas whispers. He pulls away with tears in his eyes. Miro notices and starts shaking his head. "This isn't goodbye Thomas, I promise we'll see each other again."

"You betcha."

The Bavarian turns around and starts walking to the car, where his parents are waiting. He gets in and the car starts driving away. He turns to the back window to catch a last glimpse of him. The last picture Thomas has of Miro is him waving goodbye next to his house.

"Thomas..." He turns back to his mother, who's sitting in the front seat. "When two people are meant to be together, they always find their way back to each other, remember that." 

"Don't tell him stuff like that, he has to man up and get over it." His father scolds her.

But it's enough to make Thomas feel better. He will find Miro in the future, nothing will stop him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAND if this fic was divided in 3, this would be the end of part I, now prepare yourselves for more stuff coming up
> 
> (as always, thank you all so much for reading, commenting and kudos <3 you all really make my days :D)


	6. Sechs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas adapts to his new life, but can someone really fully adapt to a new lifestyle like this?

"Thomas, wake up. It's serious." Basti pats him softly. His eyes open to find his friend all dressed up. 

"What's up?"

Bastian turns on the radio they share in their bedroom and sits down on the table.

_"This morning, September 3rd 1939, Prime Minister of Britain, Neville Chamberlain, has declared war on Germany. After the invasion of Austria last year and Czechoslovakia earlier this year, the Nazi forces have finally walked on Poland. Ignoring France and the UK's ultimatum, Hitler has marched on the land and the country is now subject of the consequences."_

Thomas' mouth drops. It finally happened. His first thought obviously goes to Miro. "Is Warsaw safe?"

"They've been bombing it, I reckon the army wont take long to get there, Polish armies are no match to Germans."

He hasn't heard from Miro yet since he left Chiemsee, but he does hope he gets the letter he sent. Miro shouldn't have gone back, it was too dangerous to begin with. All he can do is hope for the best. 

"Miro's strong, and he's young. he'll be fine." Bastian tries to comfort him. "But remember, here we're Germans who support Germany. You don't want to say something wrong. I don't think anyone here would accept us thinking that way" 

Thomas nods. Working in Dachau hasn't been easy. Even if the building they worked at involved mostly administration duties, they both felt helpless to find Jew prisoners being treated poorly under such working conditions. Sometimes officers executed them in public to create fear. Thomas feels that every passing day, he's closer to give up and run away.

It's time for them to start their day. Thomas works at the registration of incoming prisoners while Bastian registers their belongings. He doesn't work alone though, he shares his post with a man called Holger Badstuber. Thomas doesn't mind him, he doesn't seem to hate Jews and he's there thanks to his uncle, protecting him from war. Just like Bastian and himself.

As expected, everyone is talking about it. 

"Did you hear?" Holger starts as soon as he sits down to the desk next to Thomas, with a piece of bread.

"Who hasn't?" 

"Now there's nothing to stop Hitler. They'll be treated like slaves."

"You say that like it's a bad thing, Holger." An officer dropping off the new lists of incoming prisoners of the day notices. They both jump: they hadn't noticed he was there. Thomas sighs, he has to admit he hopes to find someone else beside Bastian and him who agrees about this atrocity. Holger shrugs as he bites his bread. But he has to be realistic, nowadays, everyone seems to hate anyone who isn't German, tall and blond. 

Their boss Philipp Lahm walks in. Lahm is in charge of keeping order in their area. He must be about the same age as Miro, Thomas thinks. He warns everyone in the room about the war, as if no one had heard the news. Bastian eyes Thomas who keeps his head down. 

"Good, stupid Poles." A voice comes from the back. Philipp ignores it, Thomas figures he's not exactly a politician man, but rather someone smart who knows his place. He's noticed he always asks the prisoners to be sent to work, rather than having them executed. He walks straight to the post where Thomas and Holger are and hands him a letter. In a small voice, he adds.

"A letter for you, Müller. If I were you, I'd tell my _friends_ to be more careful who they write. It's none of my business, I know, but getting these type of messages might create a slight confusion on where you stand."

Holger looks at Thomas with a confused look on his face. Thomas puts away the letter in his pocket without even looking away from Philipp. 

"My stand is with you, I assure you, else I would not have come to work here." 

Philipp nods slowly as he speaks up again to the room.

"You will all continue working normally, this war will last no longer than six weeks at the most."

Philipp continues but Thomas' attention is caught by Bastian. He mouths something and Thomas has a hard time figuring out what he means. He'll find out later in their room, right now, all he needs to know is what's in the letter Miro sent him.

After Lahm has gone back into his office, Holger leans towards Thomas.

"What was that about?" 

"I'm not sure." Thomas lies.

"You ought to be careful, you don't want the Gestapo to dislike you."

Thomas can feel Bastian's look creeping on his back. 

* * *

 

After a hard day of work, he's finally in bed, where he can pull out the letter of his pocket without anyone noticing. Bastian isn't back in their room yet, and he's grateful. He softly opens the paper and pulls out it's contents. It comes with a picture and a piece of paper. He smiles, Miro has never sent him a picture before! He unfold the piece of paper and starts reading the familiar handwriting.

_Thomas,_

_You have no idea how happy your letter made me, it's a way for me to distract myself with everything that's happening here. People are terrified, the German threat is imminent. We have a plan though, trust me. I'll be alright. I'm also glad to know everything is fine with you. Today I was walking down the street and I saw a couple of children playing football, one of them hit himself with the ball. I'm sorry but it reminded me of you._

Thomas rolls his eyes before continuing. 

_I know you probably just rolled you eyes at me, but hey, I don't say it in a bad way. You know how that always makes me laugh. My mother is doing good, she's worried about our future, as everyone here. She asked about you the other day. "When will your friend visit us?" I told her someday you would come to Warsaw and meet her. She'll probably cook one of her special meals. Maybe I'll ask for Mazurek, it's a special Christmas meal, but what better reason to celebrate than having you here?_

_Talking about celebrations... I was thinking, your birthday is soon! I really hope you have a great one. If I'm right, you're going to be 20?  How fast you've grown, Thomas. Well I was thinking about your birthday present... My mother had me taken pictures in order to get our documents straight, and she got a spare... So I'm sending it to you._

Bastian walks in and sees him smiling like an idiot with the letter. "You're lucky to get letters, you know."

"He even sent me a picture, look!" 

"He actually does look handsome there." Bastian remarks. "Lukas hasn't sent me anything in a year. I wonder if everything is fine." 

"What's the last thing you heard from him?"

"Apparently British football isn't as good as ours. But at least he's safe from working as a prisoner."

Thomas returns to his letter, and takes a careful look at the picture. It's dark but you can still notice how light his eyes are. 

_PS: Don't laugh too much with the picture, I know I look ridiculous. I'm only sending it so you wont forget my face!_

I'd never forget your face Miro, Thomas thinks. He grabs pen and paper to write him back. He needs to know if he's doing alright, especially with the war going on. He has to tell him everything about the camp, the people, even the prisoners. 

* * *

 

Before anybody wakes up, he smuggles out of his room and goes outside. Passing through the barracks, he can spot prisoners who are already up working. If Thomas could, he would let them go. It's not fair. They're mostly political prisoners who simply didn't agree with the Nazi regime. Arriving at the gate, he tells the guard he needs to run an errand in town. Quickly, he drops the letter at the post office and comes back without making a sound. Or so he thinks. Later, as he's eating lunch with Bastian and Holger, a guard let's him know Philipp is calling him to his office. He gives Basti a calming look. 

He can hear Holger asking Bastian what's up and he takes a deep breath. He can guess what it is about. He makes his way to the small room. He knocks on it and awaits for Philipp's words to let him in. 

"Sit down."

Thomas obeys and sits in front of the small man. Across him is a desk full of well organized papers. 

"Are you familiar with the rules, Mr. eh, Müller?"

He swallows slowly. He knows he has to ask for permission to leave the camp, but he was barely away long enough for someone to notice. 

"The guard informs me you were in the city this morning. May I ask why?"

He shrugs, a part of him guesses Philipp knows exactly what he was doing so there's no point in lying.

"I was there to leave a letter at the post office." He admits. 

"May I remind you we're at war?"

"Well, it wasn't..."

"I think you should pick your words wisely, and explain why you've been corresponding with someone in Poland."

His throat is heavy. Every word counts, now. Anything he says might hurt Miro. 

"He's... my best friend. I've known him for a long time, he's half German too. I... really care about him, we send each other letters to let each other know we're safe."

Philipp didn't seem to be expecting that kind of answer. Thomas notices a sort of pity in his eyes mixed with confusion. 

"Dangerous relationship to have." He notes. "Few people would risk it like that. The fact he actually sent a letter to a German camp says a lot."

"I'd do anything for him." 

Thomas swallows again even slowler. He may have just sentenced Miro.

"Alas, if there's something I respect, it's loyalty and love. I recommend you keep this a secret between us, Mr. Müller, some other people may not be as... understanding as me. I'll allow to get these letters to you."

Thomas doesn't understand what Philipp wants from him. A normal officer (like his father) would have had him arrested, but he's doing the opposite. 

"You may go now." 

Before exiting the door, he turns around and asks: "I don't understand. Why are you doing this?"

Philipp looks up. He sighs. "I'm not here because I want to. I once had a wife, they took her away. I don't wish this kind of suffering to anyone, so I will help you."

Thomas nods and exits the room. His heart is beating faster than ever. All he can do now is wait for Miro's reply and hope everything is fine. 

* * *

 

It's been almost a year and a half since he's been at the camp. It's the spring of 1941. More and more prisoners keep coming, but so do Miro's letters and Thomas is thankful for that. Warsaw got bombed by German planes, but Miro and his family managed to find a shelter in the city to keep themselves safe. He tells Thomas about life there. They get small rations of food and Thomas wishes he could do something for them, but as Miro has mentioned countless times in his letters: keeping contact with Thomas is already so much more he could have ever hoped for. 

It's the same for Thomas. If it weren't for Miro, he would have gone mad. Just like Bastian, it's gets harder each day to watch the poor treatment the prisoners get and not be able to do anything about it, Bastian worries about Lukas constantly and even if Thomas reassures him, it's no use. Thomas understands though, with times like theses, Jews are being taken to more and more prison camps. 

"He's in London, he's fine. He just can't get letters here because of the war."

Bastian nods. 

 

"I'm tired of seeing endless names like if they're worth nothing." Holger whines one day, doing their usual work.

"It's our job." 

"It's so frustrating." 

"They'd kill us." Thomas sighs. His attention is distracted by Philipp who passes through. He follows him standing up and ignoring Holger.

"Müller?" The man doesn't even look up from the documents he's reading. 

"I was wondering if we had any mail, sir."

Philipp looks up, confirming no one is around close enough to hear. "No." 

"Thank you." He sighs before sitting back in his desk.

"Nothing from your lover yet?"

Thomas almost chokes on himself, he turns to find an amused Holger smiling straight at him. 

"What? You're really obvious when you get all excited over getting letters each month." 

Overtime, the pair had grown close to Holger as well. They found out he was studying to be a doctor, before the war happened just like his parents, who died in a fire when he was young. His uncle took care of him ever since. However, no one there except Bastian and Philipp knew about Miro, for his own security. Even if he was nice, Holger couldn't know. 

"He's not my lover. He's my best friend." Thomas grumbles, cheeks blushed. 

"I thought your best friend was Schweini. Only lovers send each other letters like that. What's his name?"

Thomas knows he can trust Holger, yet he's terrified. It's as if something would happen to Miro just by mentioning him. 

"I don't... talk about him often. His name is Miroslav, he's Polish." Holger's eyes grow wide open, but before he can say anything, Thomas adds. "You can't say a word, I swear if you say something I'll personally make you regret it."

But Holger just nods. "Your secret is safe with me, don't worry." 

"Every summer I would go on vacation to a lake, called Chiemsee, that's where we met. We played football together all the time and we ended up being very close. When I was at Munich all I could think about is how Miro was doing. It was hard to understand why people hated Poles when the only example I had of one, was actually the best."

"Explains why you don't hate them." 

Thomas smiles. "We had our ups and downs, but he always managed to forgive me. He has a huge heart. The letters seem to have stopped though."

"When did the last one arrive?"

"Around January, and it's April now." 

"Maybe the letter didn't go through, with the war in the east." He suggests. 

"Yeah.." Thomas agrees.

* * *

Philipp walks outside the camp looking at the prisoners, his secretary lets him know the updates of the camp.

"I think we should increase the number of public executions."

"Why would we do that?" Philipp replies. "Our job isn't to run the barracks, that's Steiner's job. Ours is to manage the resources we get."

He puts his head down, then asks.

"Have you put any thought about the offer?" 

"It's none of your business." 

 

The day is busier than normal. Bastian turns to find that Thomas has noticed too. Every passing day, Thomas grows more desperate to hear news of Miro. He can't take it anymore, he goes to Philipp's office. 

Philipp takes a sip of his morning coffee. New reports from Auschwitz come in each morning, he's getting quite tired of having to read them. He turns his head to the door.

"Come in." He finds Thomas Müller walking in slowly, as if Philipp was going to eat him.

"Mr. Müller, I have not yet received any mail for you, we had agreed I would only bring it to you once I had it, no need to pressure me."

"He hasn't sent anything in 4 months." 

Philipp raises an eyebrow. The boy looks more stressed than usual. He doesn't understand why a part of him wants to take care of him.

"I find it unusual from his part, which helps me to raise suspicion about his whereabouts. I was wondering if there's a list."

"A list of _everyone_ who's been taken to the camps? Are you mad?"

"Well maybe just Germany."

"Your friend is Polish."

Thomas feels his hands shaking and his heart beating fast. He notices the papers on his desk bare the name 'Auschwitz'. 

"Auschwitz?" 

"Rudolf Höss' camp in south-west Poland. They've invited me to take over."

Thomas' eyes grow wide. "You're leaving? You can't go!"

"Their invitations are not to be refused, Thomas, I may not have a word in the matter." Philipp points at his SS badge. "They are dangerous. I am not here because I want to murder innocent people, I am here because I have no choice, much like you."

Thomas shakes his head. Philipp makes the entire camp calmer, if someone else was here the torture would never end. 

"About the letters, I'm afraid there's not much I can do. Are you sure he was taken?" 

"No, but why else would he have stopped?" 

Philipp sighs. He does have a point, but he really can't do anything about it.

They're interrupted by an officer. He's wearing a high level ensign on him. Thomas stands behind the pair watching them.

"Herr Lahm, Rudolf Höss sends the names of prisoners from the camp. You are required to inspect them as you will decide who seems fit to work when you get there." The man makes signs for two other SS men to walk in and drop pills of paper on his desk. 

"Thank you, Hans."

Philipp nods, before the officer excuses himself and leaves with his two men. He turns to Thomas who has a surprised look on his face.

"May I?" 

He realises the boy's intention with the newly brought package. 

"It's like looking for a needle in a haystack. I doubt we can find anything interesting there."

"You said this camp was set in Poland?" Thomas ignores him, as he sits down and starts looking. 

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Bastian puts away the last bag of belongings of the morning, their lunch break is soon. He looks for Thomas but he's not at his usual spot. Holger seems to be missing too. He raises an eyebrow. 

It's not like Thomas to skip lunch, unless he got another letter from Miro, even so, he usually waits to read them at night.

"They're with Mr. Lahm. If you're looking for them." 

Bastian thanks the man who doesn't even bother to look at him. He sits at Thomas' spot and patiently waits for him. After a moment he sees Thomas come out of the room, looking for someone.

"Basti! Come here a second." He pulls him inside the room to find a huge tower of papers everywhere. Holger is looking through a few. 

"What on earth?"

"Philipp has to move to another camp, and he got a list, we're looking for Miro and Lukas."

"I can't find a Lukas Podolski, there's only a Josef and an Aleksy Podolski." Holger states.  **[  
](http://www.behindthename.com/name/aleksy)**

"Look for more, maybe he's in the L's." Then turning back at Bastian, "Wanna help?" 

"Wont they notice we're not doing our jobs?" 

"Philipp's got out back."

"I still don't understand why he's doing this."

"What did you say your friend's name was?" Holger interrupts. 

Bastian replies. "Podolski, Lukas." 

"No, Thomas' friend, Miroslav what?" 

Thomas feels his stomach shrink. He doesn't have the voice to reply. 

"Klose." Basti gives Thomas a glance before looking back at Holger.

Holger looks back at them. He doesn't know how to say it. "There's a Miroslav Klose here."

Bastian jumps to confirm Holger's information while Thomas is pale as a ghost. 

"It might not be the same Miroslav, we can't know for sure." 

"Does it say where he came from?"

"Warsaw." 

"Damn it." Basti curses.

The possible image of Miro working in the terrible conditions he sees everyday down the barracks haunts him. "He stopped writing." He whispers after a while, but Holger and Bastian don't even hear him.

"Was he alone? Are other Kloses registered?"

"He's the only one, maybe they were separated."

"He stopped writing." Thomas repeats in a higher tone.

"We can't be sure it's him though, we need to think, how many Miroslav Kloses are there in Poland?"

"And the fact he comes from Warsaw." Holger admits.

"He stopped writing!" Thomas yells. And this time, it's enough for Holger and Bastian to jump. They realise he's right. Thomas' hands travel to his hair. There's no way this is happening. He's not a Jew. He's not an enemy to the state. Why the hell is he there?

Philipp opens the door and walks in. He tells everyone to clean up quickly and Bastian manages to take the piece of paper with Miro's name on it. Philipp hurries them to the door, but it's too late. About a second later, a well uniformed man walks inside the room without even knocking.

Thomas can't even focus. The man takes a look at the three of them, who take a step back, before turning back to Philipp.

"Philipp Lahm. I am Heinrich Himmler. I will not delay, I am here to speak with you about the impending transfer."

"I wasn't expecting you until next week, Reichsführer." Philipp answers.

"Well, this is a matter of extreme urgency. You have not replied our telegrams."

"I do not believe my transfer is the best solution." 

Bastian and Holger's eyes open in shock. It's an unthinkable thing to do, to deny a member of the Nazi Party. 

"May I ask why?" Himmler's words are cold as ice. It's hard to think there's a human soul in there.

"This camp is the center and the model to follow for all camps, it's like this because of me. If I leave it will surely turn into chaos and I cannot allow that, what will the Führer think if the main camp who he takes as an example falls apart?"

"It's already well organized, Auschwitz needs.."

"Auschwitz needs someone who can create, someone who can see beyond. I believe this camp needs me as much as I need it."

Himmler's stare drops, he looks beaten. "I suppose we do need a model to follow, and if it crumbles everything else will too."

Thomas notices how Philipp body is shaking. His attention finally draws itself to Himmler. He can't possibly be 'the Himmler'. 

"I will however need your recommendation on who to take then, very well."

"I'll go." Thomas shouts without thinking. 

Everyone in the room turns to him. Bastian could kill him. Himmler raises an eyebrow before asking.

"And who are you?" 

"I am son of Georg Müller, I wish to help the state by looking beyond this camp, I assure you Mr. Lahm will have no objection."

Philipp manages to hide the fact he's as surprised as everyone else there. He understands what must have happened when he was gone. 

"He is an exceptional young lad." He agrees. 

"Very well, you look young. You will be of use, maybe you can feed the prisoners." 

Bastian jumps in. "I'll go as well." He hides the paper behind him.

"Another volunteer?" 

"I seek the same thing, only to serve the German nation." 

But before Holger can say anything, Himmler turns to Philipp. "Very well, these two young man will come with me. We're going to Auschwitz. Send them on a train to report by the 6th of June."

He walks out the room and Holger turns to his friends. "What the--" But Thomas is faster, he's already shouting at Bastian.

"What are you doing! We could die there, you weren't supposed to come!"

"I'm not leaving you Thomas." Bastian rolls his eyes. "What were you thinking?"

Thomas shakes his head. "I can't leave him to die." 

Philipp interrupts them. "Is he there?" Holger nods.

"You will be carefully watched once you get there. Be careful. Officers in Poland have less patience than here. One mistake and you'll be sorry for it. You need to pack, and take food. You'll be on the next train there."

Thomas and Bastian rush to their dorms to grab whatever they can. Holger follows them. Thomas carefully folds Miro's letters, including his photograph.

"I don't think I'll be able to send you letters. Take care."

"Thank you, friend." Bastian smiles. "We'll try to come back here."

Holger leaves and Bastian and Thomas look at each other. He knows exactly what's going through Bastian's mind. He doesn't want to drag him too, but he didn't even think. But to his surprise, Basti surprises him.

"Hey, it's fine. I would do the same for Lukas."

Thomas smiles weakly. What has he gotten them into? 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading so much<3


	7. Sieben

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When humanity is at it's worse, how do you find the light to keep going? Miro needs to figure it out.

After a while, feelings start to fade away.

_Arbeit macht frei._

Miro looks up at the sign on the gate. He turns back to the load of dirt lying around him. The sun is as hard as always on top of him.

"Work or they'll beat you up." Another prisoner warns him in a soft voice. The commander is distracted talking to another officer. Miro takes his pickaxe and starts hitting the rocks again. 

If they got small rations of meals when the war blew up in Warsaw, this camp had it even worse, they were only allowed a few slices of bread and a tasteless coffee. He would give anything to go back. He had lost track of how long he'd been here. He feels detached to his body, like he's become somebody else. All that matters now is to survive everyday. It's quite the challenge.

The afternoon call-up begins. It consists of the soldiers rallying up all the prisoners and checking their names, to keep record of everyone. It can normally last a few hours. Miro has the chance to stand at the back, where the SS barely notice. If someone moves or speaks, they're beaten. His eyes turn to the sky. He's thankful today isn't one of those snowy or rainy days, where they have to stand with only the protection their slim prisoner clothes give them. 

When he first got here, he looked for every possible way to escape, he needed to be free of these monsters. Being one of the strongest there, he was scared, he was angry, but all these feelings have gone gradually fallen. The awful scenes he's seen don't affect him so much anymore as they used to.

It's time for their last meal of the day, if they can call it a meal, and they all have to endure the Kapos having fun. The Kapos were inmates in charge of a work team. Most of the time, they were real criminals. They were sadistics and ready to do anything in order to keep their position in the hierarchy of the camp. They usually pick some poor victim who can barely stand and beat him up.

It's not only the Kapos they have to be cautious about. Miro can't stand the SS guards. Especially one in particular: Koch. The man was the head of their section, and every chance he had, he would order pointless beatings or torturing sessions for prisoners. 

It's time for bed and the space is tight. There's only one blanket for at least three of them. Some nights he can't even sleep. All he does is enjoy the silence at the barracks. 

"Hey, white eyes, why are you here?"

He had gotten that nickname because of his very light eyes, even if they were blue.

"It doesn't matter." 

"Oh I get it, you probably stood up for a Jew, didn't you? Bad decision friend, look where you ended up. You're not like us, but you're not that different you see?"

Miro sighs. He's right, he should have never done it.

 

Another day begins, it's time for the morning roll call, but unluckily this time, he's in the second row. He can't move a muscle as the SS guards and officers count in front of them. His legs have gotten used to standing for such long periods of time, he's actually surprised that the SS guards have so much patience to inspect them all. But then he realises, they have to count the dead. 

At one point, Miro notices that the SS guard is looking straight at him. His heart starts beating fast, he's probably been selected for beaten. Even after all the time he's been there, he's been lucky enough to avoid it. 

"I pick the third one from the second row." His tone is superior and cold. 

Miroslav sees the two pair of guards coming at him, so he agrees to walk. But to his surprise, he notices they're walking away from the roll call, and more than that, they're walking to a place where he's never been before. 

They walk outside the camp and Miro swallows. They follow the trail and he wonders if he's going to die. Is this it? However an unexpected sound plays in his ears, children playing. He looks up to find a group of proper children in proper clothes running around a house, a huge house that is. The man stands in front of the house and a commander comes out of it. 

"Did you find someone?" He asks.

"This one seems like he'll do the job, Mr. Höss."

Miro blinks. He can hear the children laughing. He had forgotten the sound of laughter, let alone children.

"How did you pick him?" 

"He's not a Jew, or a communist, he's a regular Pole, he's healthy and he's strong."

"You, move." He realises he's being called and obeys.

"You job will be to clean this house, every inch of it, do you understand?"

Miro nods. 

"What's his name?" He turns to the officer. He shrugs. "Prisoner 11130, we don't really check the names." 

"Well, the children can't call him Prisoner 11130, can they?" He annoyingly points out. "What's your name, Pole?"

His eyes face the man and he blinks, he remembers what Thomas' father once told him. "It's Hans." He lies. He had known a Hans back in Warsaw and his name alone had saved him a lot of issues. He gives him a confused look.

"That's not very Polish."

"My father was German." He explains.

"Very well, not part of the stupid slavic or gypsy gang then."

He sighs, if they only knew. They push him inside and he shivers, he's not been in a proper room for months. It's even warm. 

Röss watches him slowly. He gets closer. "If you lay one hand on my children, even speak to them, or to my wife you will regret it, do I make myself clear?" 

Miroslav nods as he's pushed inside to get started moping the floors. Even this situation is better than the one back at the camp. 

 

"Hans? And you're Polish? Really?" A woman's voice comes from the door. Miro turns to find a well dressed lady looking at him. He doesn't say a word. He knows his place here is privileged. For the past few weeks, he's been sleeping there and eating more than he could have ever hoped. He sometimes goes back to the camp, but most of his work revolves here. His stomach couldn't manage at first. Soups, bread, water, meat, it all seemed like a dream.

"Why are you here?" 

Miro tries to ignore again. It's making him uncomfortable. Never had someone addressed him before, it was like if he was some kind of ghost in this house. 

"He wont be here until nightfall, don't worry."

"I don't think I'm allowed to speak." He replies. 

"How about I order you to speak?" She smiles. "If you don't we'll just have to find a better person for this job, won't me?"

Miroslav's eyes grow wide. Why is she doing this? He sees her sit on the couch in front of him. He figures it's best to get on his feet. There's something about the way she looks at him which makes him feel awkward. 

"I'm Hedwig, I don't believe we've been properly introduced."

He shakes his head. 

"How old are you?" 

"I'm.. What date is it?" He doesn't even know what year it is.

"It's August 1941." She laughs. He does the math. "27." 

"Interesting, you seem younger than you are." 

"I should finish my duties." 

"Don't you want to rest for while?" 

Miroslav can't hide his confused expression anymore. He's lost, she seems to catch up. "You see, we'll be spending a lot of time together, so we might as well get to know each other, but that's alright, we'll have the time."

He nods, as he turns to find another room away from her to clean. 

 

"Why are you always in pyjamas?" 

Miro turns to a young blond child next to him. He's cutting the crops in the garden and didn't even notice him sneak up behind him like that. He had sworn they weren't outside, as he prefers to avoid them. He must be 8 or 9.

"They're working clothes." He explains. He can't really tell a child he's part of a camp run by his father with what truly happens.

"You wear them all the time."

Miro chuckles. "I work all the time."

The boy brings him memories. His mind travels to his youth, to Chiemsee and to a particular little boy. He hadn't thought about Thomas in a while, he's almost ashamed. 

"Franz! Come back here, you know we're not allowed to speak to _him_." A girl calls the boy who jumps and runs automatically. 

"I was just asking him stuff..."

Miro sighs. He looks up at the sky, he wonders where Thomas is right now. If everything is fine, he's still working at Dachau, safe and sound, with Bastian. He thinks of his crocked smile, his unique pair of eyes. The wind on his face is even similar to the one at the meadow. His heart aches. 

It's been so long since he's felt something. He feels his throat get heavy, this isn't the time. He needs to get a hold of himself. 

He turns to the house, and something hits him. What's wrong with him? He's not dead, he's very much alive, like he was when he was younger. What if one of the prisoners was Thomas? He needs help others. He has to do it somehow. 

 

Each time he went back to the camp from that day on, he took some food to give to prisoners that shared the barracks with him. When the Kapos weren't watching, he slit meat or whatever he was given at the house. He didn't need all the food after all.

"Thank you, White Eyes." People repeated. "You will be sent to heaven."

"We'll get out of here" Was all Miroslav repeated. He wanted to give people hope, however unlikely that was. 

Some believed, some didn't. 

Day after day, he would find stuff the family didn't need, for example medicine lying around the house, and give it to them. This went on even as the guards grew suspicious of the joy going on at their barracks. The prisoners would smile at the sight of Miro, and even cheer for him. 

"White Eyes! White Eyes!"

It even called the attention of Koch. One day, as he was taken back to the camp, Miro's path was interrupted by the man. 

"I'm watching you, pig." He warns him. 

Miro doesn't know how to reply. He shakes his head. "I'm not sure what you mean, sir."

"Right now I can't touch you, they seem to like you, but I know them, and they'll get tired eventually. I'll be waiting."

Koch nods and walks away, leaving Miro in the dark. 

 

If it was hard enough to pack food for the camp, the woman always made it harder. She would find herself in the same room as him and stare at him during hours. 

"So why did you end up here?" 

Miro has learnt it's best to reply to avoid consequences. "I lived with my mother in Warsaw, we were sheltered after the bombs destroyed our house. Then one day, I saw a couple of soldiers kicking children. I couldn't help but run to them and try to break them apart. One of the man asked me for my documents and when he saw I was Polish, he told me I'd regret it."

The man had in fact seen his name was Miroslav, and noticed the origin, but she couldn't know that.

"Oh Hans, always being so noble." 

"A week later I got a letter ordering me to relocate and board a train that weekend. I left my mother and family there, hopefully they're doing well."

"You didn't have a wife?" 

Miro shakes his head. She smiles and walks away. 

 

Miro's eating a piece of bread with ham. It's not much, but it satisfies his stomach. He saves half to take tomorrow back at the camp. Sometimes he has permission to sleep in the basement. Even here, he can barely sleep, it's like the camp itself prevents him. 

That night, there's a knock on his door. He gets up and opens. It's no one else but Hedwig.

"Hans." She looks around and asks him to follow her. This can't be good, but if Miro doesn't agree, he fears something even worse might happen.

She walks all the way upstairs. It's late, and Miro guesses the kids are in bed by now. They stop in front of her bedroom and she gives him a look. Miro feels his heart beat faster. 

"You know.. with my husband gone to work all day, I do get extremely lonely..."

"I.. I'm sorry?" 

"Come in." She orders and she takes him by the hand and drags him in. He's not allowed in their bedroom, which makes him even more nervous.

"Relax, we're just going to have fun." 

Miro finally realises where this is going. Oh god. He starts shaking. 

"You know, I've always found that you have the prettiest set of eyes I've ever seen, I can't believe you're half Polish, someone like you would do great with Hitler." 

He can't help but look away, he notices a window, maybe he could jump out of it. 

"Come one, don't deny yourself, I've seen the way you look at me. You want me."

What is she saying? He doesn't even dare to look at the children! He can't even say a word. 

"I.. I think you've got the wro-"

"Don't play hard to get." She winks. "Rudolf won't be here until next week, you're safe."

She takes off her robe, to reveal a thin sleeping gown. She moves closer to him and Miroslav can practically see everything. He looks away again. He feels her hands on his chest. 

"I'm sorry, I'm not he-"

"What?"

"I don't want you." He finally says. There's silence, except for the sounds of Hedwig putting on her robe again. "Leave." Her tone is cold, and Miro turns around and flees downstairs.

 

As expected, the next morning, he's returned to the camp for good, but not given a clear reason why. It'll remain a secret between him and Hedwig. He's back to the unhuman working conditions, the bodies piling up in front of him and the tasteless food.

And to Koch's mercy. 

The man has kept his word and taken Miro for extra work. He leaves him without meals during hours, even more than the normal prisoners. It's getting cold, as it's fall. Rain comes more often than before when the call roll ups start. 

Eventually everything starts to get to him. It's rare the night where he doesn't shiver to his teeth, and every day he feels less energy than the day before to carry out the work.

People have even started to look at him in another light. He even hears whispers behind him calling him 'Lunatik'. It was typically used for inmates who were in a terminal state of weakness. They were unable to recognize anybody and were walking like ghosts in the camp.

He knows he's not that bad yet, as Lunatiks were usually dead in the next few days, but he feels his body weakening. He has to survive. Each day is harder but he has to fight. If it weren't for the pieces of bread some people give him, he wouldn't have managed. He overhears people speaking.

"White Eyes is dying." 

"That's his own fault."

Every roll call up, every night is heavier. His work pace is slowing down, and he knows the consequences will be lethal but he can't help it. Everyday, he understands a bit more: He's never leaving this camp. It might be better if he just died now to spare the suffering.

 

His shift is over, and it's time for supper, but he's not hungry. He goes directly to his barracks to take advantage that it's mostly empty. He sits down on the floor and covers himself up with the blanket. His bunk bed is too high for him to reach without help. It's freezing even if it's the middle of the afternoon. Earlier he could swear he wasn't in the camp, he was somewhere else, near Warsaw, near his mother, he wonders if she's stills safe at Warsaw. 

The door opens and Miro feels the wind around him, which makes him shake even more. He hears the boots, they make a different sound than inmates. It's an SS guard. It's Koch. He quickly reacts and tries to climb up to his bed, but he's too weak. He can barely stand. Instead, he just tumbles to the ground. The footsteps grow louder and louder, and he realises it's time to give up. Maybe Koch will be here to take him away this time. 

The footsteps stop, and Miro's forced to look up at him, except he doesn't believe it. Thomas is standing in front of him in a SS uniform. He can't believe he's losing it this bad, now he's hallucinating with his past? 

The man kneels down in front of him. "Miro?" He knows his name, how does he know his name? No one in the camp knows his name. 

"I'm Hans." He whimpers, trying to defend himself. It's definitely going to be his end, and the one person his mind thought he had to see was Thomas. He helps him up from the floor to sit.

"Miro, it's me, Thomas." His voice is soft and calm.  

"I'm not Miro," He whimpers louder and Thomas is forced to place a hand in front of his mouth. "Shh, we don't have much time. I'm sorry about this." 

Miro's scared, he doesn't know what to do. The man pulls him up and drags him out of the barrack. He yells something about _having to eliminate Lunatiks who don't work anymore._ This is it. This is how he's finally spared of the suffering, can't his past leave him alone? He might as well start hallucinating with the lake at Chiemsee and his grandfather. He's barely keeping up the pace, the man has a grip on Miro's uniform. 

But they pass the Baum spots (where they hang prisoners), then Block 11 (where they took all the prisoners to torture them and kill them). Where is he taking him? The gas chambers? Miro's seen so many people go in and no one comes out, he doesn't even go near that part of the camp. Not even Koch had ever taken him there. It's as if the man wanted Miro to suffer more than just killing him.

Instead, they walk into a building Miro doesn't know. He manages to catch a glimpse of wheels.The man lets him go and softly places him against the wall. Miro tries to take his distance from the stranger. It's useless, he's cornered. 

"It's me, it's me, Thomas." He tries to calm him. 

"You can't be Thomas." He accuses. "Thomas doesn't know I'm here, he can't be here..." His voice trails off as he sees the eyes he so well knows filled with concern. "Thomas?"

"Miro.." The man leans in and hugs him tight and Miro doesn't know what to do. Thomas feels Miro's body shaking against his, he puts his hand behind him to find his skin is burning. 

He hears a voice behind them. "Do you have him?" And as Thomas pulls away, Miro catches a glimpse of Bastian. His face is white when he sees him on the ground. 

He pulls his head down in a way to wake up from this dream. He just had Thomas in his arms after so long. He can still hear the boys talking as Thomas stands up. 

"Do you have the clothes?" 

"Yeah, here." Bastian hands a bunch of drapes to Thomas, in a lower voice, he adds, "He looks awful, I'm no expert but I'm guessing a fever is involved."

Thomas nods before kneeling back to Miro.

"Listen, Miro." He has to put a hand on his cheek to catch his attention. His touch is gentle, unlike anything Miro has experienced in so long. "We're going to get you out of here, all we need you to do is to put these on, they're SS officer clothes." 

Miro's attention is half on Thomas, half on the shivers that are going through his skin. 

"Thomas, he's not fit to travel."

"He's less fit than to stay here, he'll die!" He snaps back. "Come one, please, please Miro."

It breaks his heart to see Miro in this state, but he made a promise he would always protect him. Miro looks up at Thomas, and simply nods. He's only able to focus on his smile, Thomas' unique smile could save anyone. Including him.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone who really inspired me was Mala Zimetbaum, she was an amazing person who was in the camp and died trying to help others. She served a lot to inspire Miro's character in this, so I really wanted to put her name on here.  
> If you guys have some free time you should totally google her :D
> 
> In other stuff, again thank you so so so so so much for all your feedback, it really means the world to me <3


	8. Acht

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The three try to escape Auschwitz, with a sick Miro. They'll need a lot of luck to make it through.

"Herr Müller, Herr Schweinsteiger. Welcome to Auschwitz."

The pair walk forward behind the man dressed up in SS uniforms. The sight is worse than they had imagined, there are people everywhere looking at them with little hope in their eyes left. Huge buildings and the smell of death surrounds the place. Bastian gives Thomas a nudge to keep his sight off prisoners. It's worse than Dachau, they guess there's no Philipp here to set limits.

They get to the main building with far more SS in it. Everything about this camp makes Thomas feel sick. He begs Miro isn't here, that it's all just a misunderstanding. 

A highly ranked man comes in and greets the general who escorted them.

"Are these the new volunteers?" He nods. The man turns himself to Bastian and Thomas.

"I am Rudolf Höss, the commander of this camp. Everything that happens here is because of me and with my approval, you will learn discipline while you stay here. You're from Germany?"

"Dachau, sir." The man adds.

"Very well, what did you do?"

"I used to check the prisoner belongings." Bastian jumps in, "And he used to check in the new prisoners names, and keep their record."

"We've got plenty of people ready for that, we'll find you a better suitable job."

Thomas curses, it would have made it easier if he could check all the lists for any clues. This camp is so big, he doesn't even know where or how to look. The thought of giving up doesn't occur to him. He will find Miro.

"The two of you seem strong enough, but you lack experience... I think the best way is to have you start with someone."

"Koch wanted an assistant." Another man shouts across the room

Höss nods, "You, you're..."

"Thomas Müller, sir."

"You will assist Officer Koch throughout his daily duties. And you..." He turns to Bastian. "You will help Eichmann guard the outer gates."

* * *

Thomas only sees Bastian when it's eating time nowadays, he's always either out working or sleeping in another dorm. Koch is a sarcastic man and Thomas is glad he's taken him under his wing: it means he wont dislike Thomas. For some reason Koch seems to trust him. It's as if Thomas was his new pet, and he loved to show it off. They're out on their normal day, making prisoners work in fatal conditions, Thomas hates standing there watching. He's seen a couple of prisoners take breaks, and he knows Koch would have beaten them if he knew, but he could never do such a thing, so he keeps quiet and pretends to miss it.

He tries to distract him every time he can with questions about the camp, where everyone is located, where they eat, where they sleep. Anything to find Miroslav.

One day, they see Höss walk to them. 

"Koch, come here." 

The man obeys but they're close enough for Thomas to hear, probably not intentionally. 

"I will be going out next week, Himmler has ordered me to meet him. My house will be safely taken of with the usual guards and the prisoners."

"You're leaving him at your house the entire week? Are you mad?" 

"He's quiet. He's never broken the rules."

"He's Polish. He will break them, I know them."

Thomas' attention is drawn by the prisoners, they're all working like robots, it's so painful to see. He tries to look for Miro, but no one fits the type. He realises Miro must have changed a lot since he last saw him, but he's sure he would recognize him. Maybe he's not here, maybe he's safe with his mother in Warsaw.

"At least make him sleep back in the camp, I'll escort him myself."

"I've known you for a long time Koch, but I do not think he will be a problem, the children are used to him."

A scary thought crosses Thomas' mind. What if he's forgotten Miro's face? 

Höss finally leaves and Koch comes back to Thomas' side. He faces him and smiles. "So, do any of them need beating?"

Thomas shrugs and looks back on Höss walking back to the camp.

"What was that about?"

"He's leaving for a week. There's this stupid prisoner who's been getting on my nerves. They call him White Eyes, a part of the camp calls him their _saviour_." He chuckles. "Don't these people know they're all going to perish here? Anyway, he seems to think he's better than everyone else because Höss takes him to work at his house with wife and children." 

Thomas' stomach shrinks. He can't believe he's saying that as if they're worth nothing. When Thomas doesn't laugh along, he gets serious again.

"We should get them ready for the call-up again."

Thomas nods and follows.

* * *

It's Wednesday, 9 a.m. and Koch is no where to be seen. Bastian suggests his office during breakfast, but it's locked, meaning he's outside. 

Thomas walks down to the roll up when usually, he meets him before going. Every day, he hopes to find Miro, but he doesn't dare to look at the dead. It's too much for him to bare. He looks for the SS and asks them about Koch.

"Hey, kid." Thomas turns to find the man greeting him. It's starting to feel like fall, the wind is cooler. Thomas shakes his head as he follows his boss.

The prisoners have been working more than usual today, it's almost the time for their break. He reminds Koch.

"What about lunch break?"

"Hm, they eat?"

He raises an eyebrow, and the man notices. "Give them the order." He sighs. Thomas turns around and blows his whistle. When he comes back, Koch already has their lunch packed out. Fruits and vegetables with meat, bread and cheese waiting for them.

"Thomas, you have to be colder. I know you're new, but this is what they deserve. You have to give them what they _deserve_."

The crowd leave the axes on the ground and turn around. They all start rushing to the supplies truck. He almost misses Koch himself getting up himself and getting lost in the prisoners. 

He turns to grab a piece of bread with cheese when he hears Koch's voice: "You really think _you_ were getting a break?" It's no news that Hoch is a beast to the prisoners, and Thomas tends to avoid looking, not wanting nightmares later. It's the unusual set of words that follow that sparkle his attention. Koch's tone is superior. "How are your white eyes doing? Soon they'll be lifeless, don't worry."

White Eyes.

He turns to see the poor prisoner down, his head buried between his knees. Koch keeps shouting at him and kicking. The man finally moves and grabs the tool to continue working. Thomas freezes.

It's Miroslav. 

The piece of bread he was eating falls into the ground and his heart starts beating incredibly fast. It's him. He's lost an incredible amount of weight, which isn't surprising. His feet order him up and next thing he knows he's standing next to Koch. He can't even find words. 

"Glad you want to learn Tommy, but I'm done with this one, too late. I'm going to have my way with him, just not today. I want him to suffer."

Miro turns around and starts moving the pickaxe at the rocks. Thomas can't stop staring at him, eyes filled with sadness. He wants to yell "It's me Miro! It's me!" But he knows better than that.

"Let him eat. He'll starve."

"That's the point."

"He wont be much use if he can't walk back to the camp, didn't you say you want him to suffer?"

Koch hesitates, but Thomas' dead serious expression convinces him.

"Very well."

Thomas watches how Koch orders Miro to get some food, and the man automatically runs to the rest of the prisoners, without looking back.

* * *

 "I found him." Thomas whispers at the table. Bastian can't believe his ears. 

"Where?!" 

"He wont last long, he's at Block 56. He looks bad. We need to take him out of here."

"Shh.." Bastian warns him as Thomas' voice raised a bit.

"Security is insane here, they always have someone there looking. You can't take someone out. They'll notice by next morning when the body is missing."

"Can't you be the one to guard?" 

"They set you in pairs."

Thomas swallows his bit of food. They need to find a way. 

"We can't leave Miro."

Bastian's eyes sparkle.

"I have an idea."

* * *

Thomas runs through the camp, he doesn't have much time, Koch wont be forever distracted by Bastian, no matter how well he plays the act. He finds his way to the prisoners food corner. It's time for their small dinner. 

"Where is White Eyes?" He orders in a superior voice, copying Koch's tone. He knows everyone knows him by now. No one answers. This is going to be harder than planned.

"I said, where is he?" 

"White Eyes has been a savior for most of us, if you think we'd hand him to you so easy, you're crazy. Give it up kid."

Thomas can't believe it, he doesn't have time for this.

"If you don't tell me, I'm going to have and call Koch."

The crowd starts shaking until one man screams. "He's in the barracks."

Thomas doesn't wait for everyone to react, he's on his feet.

 

He opens the door and the stench is the first thing that hits him. How can human beings live like this? It's quiet and it seems like no one is here at all. Until he hears rackle. Someone is on the other side. Miro.

He jumps as fast as he can through the beds and finds a poor man on the ground trying to hold himself against the wall. Miro. He's found him. Finally. He wonders how he's going to react when he sees him.

Miroslav turns his head up and Thomas knows he can see him, except his face doesn't show anything Thomas would have expected. It changes from resignation to fright. 

Thomas tries to calm him down, after the trauma he's been through he can't blame him for reacting like this, he kneels down in front of him and lets out:

"Miro?"

He's longed so long to see him again, to make sure he's safe. 

Miro shakes his head "I'm Hans." He whimpers. It breaks his heart seeing him like this. He repeats. "Miro, it's me, Thomas.". 

But he doesn't take it well, he's shaking and speaking louder. "I'm not Miro," They can't hear them or they're both dead, so he places a hand in front of his mouth. It's burning. Thomas figures he has a fever. He could kill Koch for all he's done to him. Thomas knows what he has to do, but before, he looks at Miro straight in the eyes. 

"I'm sorry about this." 

* * *

After grabbing a few guns and supplies, the three of them are all set in the car, with Miro on the back. He's barely holding up. Thomas hopes it'll be enough. "Are you sure they'll let us through?"

"They know me. They should."

Bastian is driving with Thomas at his side.

They're heading towards the Barrier Arm. Thomas' heart is shaking, he looks back to Miro whose face is down. They're getting closer and closer and the arm isn't moving. 

They don't have permission to go out, so if the guards ask them for papers, they're screwed. He doesn't want to know what will happen to them if they get caught.

About half a Km left, Bastian shakes his head. 

"Why aren't they opening it?"

They have to slow down, and Thomas knows he has to do something. He gets up and shouts at the guards next to the Barrier Arm.

"Are you going to stand there and waste our time all day? Get to it you idiots!"

His tone is intimating enough to work. They open it without question.

The car drives away from Auschwitz. 

 

It's not even 5 Km away when Bastian stops the engine.

"We need to leave the car, they'll be looking for it." Bastian warns, and Thomas agrees. "The hard part is now not getting caught again, you know how Nazis work."

They're on their feet, through the woods. Miro has practically passed out by this point and Thomas has him on his back. He's weak enough to hold on to him.

"Is Oswiecim close?" Thomas asks. 

"I don't think it's the best decision to go to Oswiecim right now. It'll be the first place they'll look for him, and us."

"Koch's going to be the first one to notice."

Night falls upon them soon enough, and they're thankful they brought thick clothes

Gun Shots. The pair throw themselves on the ground and Thomas immediately checks on Miro. His fever has gotten worse, and the cold doesn't help. Bastian makes a sign to move slowly, but with Miro, it's hard to even move at all. 

"Müller, move." Bastian mouths, but as Thomas tries to take a step, a voice interrupts him.

"Move one inch and you're dead, Nazi bastard."

They both look and it's not what they expect. A man in a brown, clearly not SS, uniform stands in front of them. He has a gun pointed at Thomas. His expression is cold.

"Please, it's not what you think." Bastian tries.

"Shut the fuck up. Did you three stray from hell? Let me send you back." He aims the gun at Thomas.

"If you're going to kill us, please don't kill him." Thomas begs, as he reveals Miro. "We helped him escape, they're after us. Please, save him." 

The man hesitates, as Thomas holds Miro tight. 

"He has a fever, please." 

"If I find out you're lying, you'll both regret it." He looks around and finally lowers his gun. Bastian feels his blood rush back to his entire body. 

"I'll take you to my camp, he'll be safe there."

Thomas gets on his feet with Miro. "I'm going to save you." He repeats again mentally.

 

It's about a half an hour march until they see the tents and the fire. Bastian is really glad they found someone. He turns back to check on Thomas. He looks exhausted as well, hopefully they'll be safe here for the night.

"I'll talk to our leader to ask if he can stay." The man nods.

Thomas sits Miro down close to the fire. Miro's a bit more woken up than he was earlier, awake enough to sit on his own. Thomas is about to look for food when he feels a grip on his clothes. Huh? he notices Miro is holding onto his pants. He gets on his knees and he notices Miro is whimpering something.

"What is it?" He asks.

"Don't.. Don't leave me."

It's enough to break his heart. He wraps his arms around him and gently tucks his head against his chest. 

"I wont."

Bastian watches them from afar. It's amazing how devoted Thomas is to Miro. The man walks back from the tent and Bastian turns to him.

"He says it's alright if yo-"

A voice behind him interrupts them. "Bastian?"

He can't believe his eyes, Lukas is standing in front of him. 

"Lukas!"

He automatically jumps on him and hugs him. Lukas laughs loudly. "What on earth are you doing here?" 

"We, we saved Miro! What are you doing here, I thought you were in London?"

"It's a long story, I'm so glad to see you." 

Lukas' smile is wide, and Basti has missed it so much. He finds himself smiling like an idiot. 

The man stands between them with a big confused expression.

"It's just you and Miroslav then?" 

"And Thomas." 

"Thomas?!" 

Lukas turns to greet his friend, and finds him near the fire intertwined with Miro. 

"One of them is sick, and the other one is in love." Bastian explains, and Lukas nods to lead the way for a tent.

 

"I've missed you." Bastian admits, with the stars shinning down on them. He and Lukas volunteered to stand guard first tonight. 

"I'm sorry I stopped writing, they wanted to deport us back to Germany, even Poland." Lukas explains. "Dad's hiding with some friends over there. I met a couple there, Mesut and Per, they promised to take care of him."

"I was so worried." He admits. It's hard for Bastian to open up to people, it had been hard to even open up to Thomas. 

"When I heard they wanted to get me, I joined the Jewish resistance, and I've been with them for like 2 years. I can't sit and do nothing." 

However, with Lukas, it's never been hard. Lukas is different. 

"I was sent to Poland to investigate about concentration camps. It's unhuman what they do to them."

"How did Miro end up there? He's not a Jew."

"I have no idea, he is Polish though. These guys don't really need excuses to take whoever they want."

Guilt finds Bastian. He looks away. But he can't hide anything from Lukas even he wanted.

"What's wrong?"

"I was working at Dachau, Thomas' dad sent us there. We... We didn't stop them. They were suffering and we didn't do anything. Until we found out Miro was here, and Thomas blindly asked to be transferred here. We could have saved more of them. We didn't... I didn't." 

Lukas moves closer to him. 

"Hey, they would have killed you"

"We disguised him as an SS guard. I didn't think we'd make it. I don't know how I agreed."

"That was incredibly brave." 

Bastian can't fight it anymore, and he finds his way to Lukas' arms. He's longed for his arms for so long. He could really stay like this forever.

* * *

Thomas has ice on Miro's forehead and it seems to have helped. The shivers have lowered to only time to time now.

He doesn't know much on how to treat patients, but he remembers when his mother had Typhoid fever a few years ago. He takes off the nazi coat, as well as his shirt off. He knows it must feel awful, but he has no other choice.

"I don't want Koch to find me." He repeats. 

"He wont. You're safe from him." 

He doesn't know if Miro is actually paying attention to him, but he tries to reply.

"Where are we?" He asks after a while. "Where am I?"

"You're with me."

"Thomas?" The look on Miro's face is soft, as if he can't really believe it. 

He moves closer to him and lets Miro's head rest on his chest. A couple of hours pass and the shivering has finally stopped. It's working. Miro whimpers something Thomas can't catch, he moves his head down. 

"What is it?" 

But Miro doesn't say anything, instead he moves his head closer to Thomas. The space between them is practically nonexistant and he finds himself looking straight into his eyes. Even after all he had to endure there, his eyes still show that incredible kindness and the same peace they used to. His hand finds its way to the back of Miro's neck. The fever is still there. He lets it travel to the hair and gently brushes it. He smiles when Miro seems to enjoy it. His eyes close and Thomas catches half a smile on his face. When he stops, he figures he must have fallen asleep now. Miro's body is fully against him, he's glad to give him that comfort. He almost misses how one of his eyes open

"Do you ever go to sleep?" He teases in a low voice only to find Miro softly pushing his lips against his own. It's about a fraction of a second, but it's enough for Thomas to react. His hands stay still on Miro's body. It's like he's been paralysed. Miro returns to his position with a whisper.

"Thank you." 

His heart is beating incredibly fast. He can't believe what just happened. Miro just kissed him. He feels his breath getting slower until Thomas can tell that now he's finally fallen asleep. But Thomas can't shake it out of his head. 

_Miro just kissed him._


	9. Neun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miro finally wakes up from his fever, to find things aren't slowing down in his life

_Hope._

It's the first thought that crosses Miro's mind when his eyes open. He's alive, very much alive. He looks around and exhales slowly. He's got no idea where he is, or when it is, but he's sure of one thing: This isn't Auschwitz anymore. His body feels tired, but so much lighter than what he's felt in the past days, weeks, months. He tries to work out what happened. It's mostly a blur, but something stands out. Miro's heart starts beating faster. 

Thomas' smile invades his mind and he shakes his head. 

 

"We need to go north." Lucian announces. "Urgently." 

Lukas shakes his head. "We've barely investigated this area, boss." Bastian watches closely as the tall brown haired man continues.

"Treblinka. We need to get there as soon as possible." 

"People also need help here at Auschwitz." Bastian interrupts. He knows the kind of people who were in charge and how the people lived there. They have to do something to help.

Lucian ignores him, and looks straight at Lukas. 

"We have men near. Their leader is going to infiltrate himself to get information and blow the camp up from the inside. He needs reinforcement, so I'm sending you. We'll handle Auschwitz."

Lukas nods, as he waves Bastian the way out.

"You leave next week."

 

"Blow it from the inside? Are you ma-" Bastian starts.  

"I'm starving." Lukas confesses. "Can we talk about it later?"

Bastian giggles and nods, amused at him. They walk towards the food where they find Thomas sitting at the table. 

Something's been off about Thomas ever since they got here, as if something is troubling him. The pair arrive next to him and sit down. 

"Want something to eat, Lukas?" Bastian smiles.

"Of course!"

He stands up and starts cooking something in the fire. He turns to Thomas.

"What about you?"

He mumbles. "I'm ok, thank you."

He's had enough.

"Okay Müller, spit it out, what's up?" Bastian throws at him. 

Thomas looks back at him with a surprised expression. "I... Nothing."

"Try again." Lukas giggles as Bastian gives him a glare. "Is this about Miro?" He adds. "I can't think of anything else."

"I... I.. What?! No it's not possibly Miro he hasn't even woke up properly in 3 days why would it be about him?"

"Hey, calm down." 

Thomas looks around, as if someone was eavesdropping on them. He sighs. 

"It's complicated, well, not really, I just... Well... Miro... The night we came here, he.. did something, something crazy and unexpected and I just can't keep it outside of my mind. He... kissed... me."

He's blushing and Bastian's expression softens along with Lukas'

"Awww that's so sweet." Bastian lets out.

"What? You aren't together?" A confused Lukas comments, which makes Bastian laugh. 

"You don't understand, he may have feelings for me!" Thomas blurts out.

"So what?" 

"Well he's my friend! I could never possibly..."

"What?"

"Kissing means more than just friends."

"Thomas, you've been in love with him for like your entire life." 

Silence. 

"No I haven't."

Lukas turns to Bastian as confused as before. It's not easy to forget how Thomas used to never stop talking about Miro and Chiemsee. 

"Even I've known ever since we were kids." Lukas points out. "And you did risk your life..."

"That doesn-" Thomas tries to interrupt,

"To save his. That's the kind of stuff you do for the people you love."

Bastian looks at Lukas for a moment, seeing Lukas talk like that makes him feel fuzzy inside. He snaps back and nods. "I always thought you'd be the first to tell him how you feel though, I'm glad Miro finally took the first step."

Thomas stays quiet, before getting on his feet and rushing away, leaving the pair for their breakfast. 

 

He walks between the trees, not far from the camp, the light softly passes through the leafs. All those years at Chiemsee. Memories of Miro laughing come back to him. It's true he's always admired Miro. He's always wanted Miro to be with him, and it did hurt like nothing had hurt until then when he had to stop seeing him.

He searches in his pocket and takes out the golden necklace. The same one Miro gave him so long ago to keep him safe. He's had it with him everyday.

Turns out you needed it more than me. He thinks. 

_That's the kind of stuff you do for the people you love._

He starts blushing and smiling at the thought of Miro's eyes, his smile, his bad jokes, everything about Miro makes Thomas happy. 

He's never been in love... Or has he? 

_Thomas, you've been in love with him for like your entire life._

He used to run away from Lisa when she asked for kisses, he used to hide and write Miro letters instead. She said love made you a better person, it made you selfless, and if there's something Thomas is sure about, it's that he'd die to keep Miro safe. 

Then there's how Miro feels about him too. How many people he's met have given him a kiss like that? It was so... special, so intimate. Thomas feels butterflies in his stomach just remembering it. The fact Miro might have developed feelings for him after so long makes him feel so happy. 

He looks at the necklace again. 

Maybe he does love Miro after all, and maybe, just maybe, he doesn't dislike the idea at all.

 

Thomas enters the tent gently, like he's done all the past few days, to check on Miro. He likes taking care of him, even if he's far away in his sleep. Today, to his surprise, he's awake.

"Oh, you're up." He lets out.

Miro's unfocused look to the ceiling drifts to Thomas. It takes a moment for him to react. He gets up slowly on his own with effort and shakes his head, he places one hand on it. After a moment of observation, he finally opens his mouth.

"Thomas?"

A smile draws itself on Thomas' face. He nods and moves closer.

"I... I thought you were just a dream." Miro starts.

"I'm very real!" Thomas manages to get his feet stuck in a box, and immediately trips and falls over. He can hear Miro laughing lightly.

"I'm convinced now."

Thomas raises an eyebrow, and pretends to be offended. He gives it up when he sees Miro's smile. He can't stop feeling incredibly happy to find him healthy. He really gave him a scare. He sits in front of him with a grin on his face. Without thinking, he folds his arms around him.

"I've missed you." He admits. He means he's missed him ever since he last saw him at Chiemsee. 

Miro sighs. "Me too," They spend a moment like this before breaking apart. "Eh, Thomas? Where are we?"

"We... ended up in a sort of resistance camp, which coincidentally found Lukas in it!"

"Lukas... Who?"

"My friend, who was a Jew."

"Oh that one, uh,  if you don't mind me asking. What happened? How did you manage to take me out of... there?" 

Thomas notices the change of expression. He's sure he's remembering everything.

"Don't think about it." 

Miro doesn't understand how he knew.

"I, well, I was working at Dachau, and you stopped writing. I know it's stupid to think the worse, but then my boss had these lists, and your name was on it, so I asked for a transfer and Bastian came with me. Then, we found you and gave you clothes to disguise yourself as a SS officer and we were gone!"

"You could have been caught! What were you thinking?!" Miro realises. "I'm sorry to have caused so much trouble."

Thomas puts a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, it's alright, we're both safe."  _You're worth it._ He thinks.

"I don't understand why you did it, you could have died." Miro shakes his head. 

 _"_ Because it's you, Miro." _and I love you._ Thomas wants to add but doesn't, he wants to avoid overwhelming Miro so fast.

It feels so nice to say it, even if it's only in his mind. It's slowly all coming to him, Basti is right. There's no use in hiding the fact he's been in love with him for a long time. He can't even place the time where he started feeling like this. He could burst with his feelings. Looking at Miro's healthy smile takes away any doubt he could ever imagined. 

"Thanks.." He replies with a blush. "I... I have to be honest, I don't remember much at all... It's all a blur, except your face, I remember your face." 

"It's okay, I brought you here and took care of you... well, we probably wouldn't be here if it weren't for Basti," 

"Bastian is here?" 

"Yeah, you had a bad fever, we found you shivering and shaking."

"I... I did? That explains it" 

"Explains what?"

"Why I can't seem to remember you smuggling me out of Auschwitz just like that." Miro raises an eyebrow, with a smile. 

"Hey, hey, don't worry. It's nothing important, what matters is that you're safe."

Thomas moves his hands behind his head, hoping to comfort, but only to earn a confused look in return from Miro. He's noticed the lack of space between them. Thomas guesses he hasn't had contact with people like this for a long time...

"Thomas, what are- eh, is everything ok?" He can tell Miro is slowly pulling further from him. 

It hits him. 

"Wait, you say you don't remember anything?"

"The last memory I have is the barracks at the camp.." Miro admits. 

Thomas blushes and brings his hand back to his body. He begs for someone to walk into them. His face is as red as a tomato. 

"You don't remember the night we got here then?" 

"Are you okay? Your face is-" 

"I, eh- I need to get you food." 

"Thomas?"

Thomas nods as he gets up and trips again on the same box. He grabs it and takes it with him out of the tent leaving a confused Miroslav. 

 

He's ready to burst out at Lukas and Bastian who are both looking at some papers. He opens his mouth and starts ranting. 

"We need to take provisions for the trip." Lukas starts, ignoring Thomas.

"I'll make a list," Bastian agrees. 

"We also need to know who we'll be taking with us."

Thomas tries again. "Guys?"

Bastian and Lukas both turn to Thomas and with a joined voice say "Sorry Thomas, we're busy."

They take off and Thomas follows them.

"Who's the guy that's going in?"

"I don't know him, I just know he's Polish, Lewandowski I think."

"Hey!" Thomas tries to understand what on earth is going on. They end up in center of the camp. The sun is setting next to them, and soon they'll need a fire. 

"Are you guys planning on leaving?" His tone is dead serious, which forces the pair to stop. 

Bastian turns to Lukas. "I can't leave him behind."

Lukas nods. "I know, you don't have to tell me."

He finally starts explaining everything to Thomas. They're being sent to Treblinka, up north-east, to free the concentration camp there, as it's much smaller. Someone over there will be helping the inside. 

"We leave in a week." 

"Freeing it? Are you serious?"

"We're going to have help from the inside, we owe it to the prisoners."

Lukas eyes Bastian, who takes a deep breath. 

"Now Thomas, I need you to listen to me carefully, I know this might sound.."

"What is it?" 

"We can't take the sick" He admits with a sorry expression.

"What?"

"We can't-"

"Miro's coming with us." Thomas interrupts him, without hesitation.

"He was close to dying and you want to send him on a trip like that?" Bastian points out.

"We can't leave him! Not after everything he's been through!"

 

"I'm fit to travel." 

Lukas, Bastian and Thomas turn to find a dressed Miro standing in front of them, just outside his own tent.

"I'm fit to do the trip."

"Miro, you just had a bad fever, if it weren't for Thomas..."

"I know, but my mother is in Warsaw, I need to find her. Treblinka isn't far from there. I know these lands, I've travelled through them, I can be of much help."

Miro's eyes find Thomas' who in return look away. He feels his cheeks blush. Thankfully, Lukas replies.

"If you're fine by next week, you're in, but I can't promise anything. It's your safety first." 

"I understand." Miro nods.

He can't believe he had doubts about it before. Truth is: he's hopelessly in love with Miro, except now, it's unrequited, and Miro doesn't have a clue.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaahhh thank you all so much for the comments and kudos and everything <3 <3 <3 thank you so much


	10. Zehn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang is on their way to Treblinka, and some confessions are made, just not the ones you'd expect!

"You wont need that, so don't bother." A small voice comes from the back. Robert turns around and a smile spreads across his face. He drops the dagger he was holding between his hands. 

"Wojciech." He muses. "I didn't think you'd come to say goodbye?"

"Don't be all smily, you know I'm against this idea completely. I'm sure there's another way to take it down without you in the middle."

Woj turns to sit on the couch in the room, he shakes his head. Robert knows him better than anyone, even if he wont admit it. 

"I'll come back, don't worry." He lets him know. 

"That's what you always say." 

Robert sits down next to him and winks with an irresistible look Woj can't ignore. His blue eyes are going to be the death of him. With an amusing tone, he replies.

"I always come back."

"Yeah, well what if you run out of luck? What if this time you don't?" Woj knows how Robert can be a bit too reckless. The dark haired man sighs, then finds its way to a smile again. 

"Are you... Actually worried for me?" 

Woj doesn't reply the obvious answer, instead Robert continues.

"How about... we make a bet?" 

"A bet?" 

"Yeah, when I come back, you have to make out with me." Robert smiles.

Woj rolls his eyes. It's amazing how he can be like this sometimes.

"You're going to a concentration camp and all you're thinking about is-"

"Making out with you? Sneaking out of all our friends just to have a secret moment with you? Why not?" 

It's amazing how Robert can say things like these when the world is going through such dark times, yet it's even more amazing how he makes Woj fall in love with him everyday. He's worth keeping their relationship a secret, after all, the SS have also been arresting people like them. 

"Fine. You better come back."

* * *

"We should camp here for the night." 

Bastian leaves the bags on the floor. They've been forced to walk through the forest as using the roads and a car would be far too dangerous. Thomas follows him dropping his weight next to him. Lukas and Miro come in last after the group settles down.

Thomas notices how Lukas and Miro seem to get along very well, Basti explains that Lukas studied Polish the time he was away, as he has Polish blood from someone from his family.

It's hard to admit, but he doesn't know how to act around Miro anymore, all he does is blush and want to run away. He wish he could control it, but he can't. 

"You should tell him he kissed you." Bastian interrupts his gazing to the pair. 

"What for? He probably just needed comfort, it'll just make things weird." 

"Yeah, comfort in you, I doubt he would have kissed me if I had been there."

He wants Bastian to be right, but he doesn't want to distract Miro right now. He's got enough on his mind. 

 

"I know a great story!" One of the men start. They're all gathered around a fire, eating some freshly cooked meal. It's not much, but spending a moment relaxing helps them a lot.

"When I was younger, my brother used to love swimming, and one time he pushed my mother into the water with him! It was hilarious, the entire town found out!"

They all laugh, and Thomas keeps an eye on Miro, who smiles faintly. He knows he's not completely well, and he can't blame him at all. He's done an amazing recovery after being in Auschwitz for so long.

He gets on his feet, moves closer to him and has to take deep breaths to avoid to show his heart speeding up. He notices Miro's plate has most of the food still on it. 

"You haven't finished that." He says without thinking, Miro turns his head up. 

He looks surprised, as if he hadn't noticed. He looks back down and shakes his head. 

"I'm.. not used to eating so much anymore."

"It's okay, one bite at a time." Thomas encourages him as he sits down next to him, and Miro manages to find his smile. It's really comforting and it's enough to give him strength to eat another bite. 

Watching Miro eat makes Thomas feel better, he finds himself gazing for a moment. Miro looks back at him with an innocent look on his face. 

"What? Did I get something on my face?" 

Thomas snaps back to blush and shake his head, immediately getting up and excusing himself.

"I'll get you water, wait a second." 

"But Thomas, I already have..." Miro turns to his side to lift his cup of water. He's already gone, and Miro sighs. Something is up with that kid. 

* * *

 

Snow has started to fall and they can tell it's only the first to many more. Miro takes advantage of the fact Thomas is at the back patrolling for nearby unwanted followers to sneak up next to Bastian.

"Hey, Bastian."

"Call me Basti, really."

"Sure,"

"What's up?" Bastian knows he's a reserved man. He only ever talks to Lukas, because he's the only one who speaks Polish, and Thomas, and that's when they initiate conversations with him. Thomas insists it's because of the camp. 

He's not sure where to start, so he tries the obvious.

"You've been friends with Thomas for a long time..."

Bastian raises an eyebrow. 

"You've known him for a long time as well..."

"Yeah, but it's different, I didn't see him so often, and even less for the past years."

Bastian turns to him, he has a very serious expression. 

"What's wrong?" 

"He's been acting a bit strange... And I'm concerned." 

Strange? Bastian usually notices when Thomas is acting strange, he usually doesn't eat or stops talking about horses and Miro... and he's not stopped doing that. 

"I don't know if he's... I don't know if he has a problem still being my friend after what happened to me..."

"What do you mean?" 

He sighs.

"Ever since you guys saved me, he wont even look at me at the eyes, well, that's when I'm looking back at him. I've caught him staring at me with a sorry look on his face. But it's more than that, he doesn't seem relaxed when he's with me... I don't know..."

"I can guess Thomas means a lot to you and you don't want to grow apart, but Miro, seriously, you're very important to Thomas as well. He bloody risked his life for you."

"Maybe the shock was too much for him." 

Bastian shakes his head. He's getting the wrong idea. 

"I think you should talk to him about it. It's true he's been really worried about you these past few days, I don't blame him, but it's something more."

Bastian can't exactly tell him Thomas has been dealing with unexpected feelings for him, can he? After all they're not even sure Miro feels the same way. Maybe Miro only sees Thomas as a friend. 

"I'll ask him about it later, you're right. He's basically all I have left. Thanks Bastian."

Miro gives him a genuine smile which surprises him. Did he just say Thomas is all he has left? 

Sometimes Bastian questions why Thomas is filled with doubt about Miro's feelings. They seem pretty clear to him. 

 

The cold wakes Thomas up, there's no light out yet, so it must still be night. He tries around his small bed to find a comfortable position to rest. It's useless, the wind manages to get through the tent and he's shivering. He stares at the ceiling surrounded by silence. It's interrupted by whimpers. Thomas realises they're coming from Miro's spot. He automatically reacts, and he's on his feet. 

Miro is shaking in his own bed. Thomas puts a hand over his head, softly to avoid waking him up. He doesn't have a fever, which calms Thomas. He makes out words out of Miro's whimpers. 

"Please, don't... Please..."

He has to do something. He grabs his blanket and hovers next to Miro. As soon as he's well placed, he gently moves Miro's head to let him rest on his chest. It's not long before he starts whimpering again. Thomas whispers against his ear as he holds him tight.

"Shh, it's okay, you're safe." 

At first, it's useless, Miro keeps shaking, but after a while, Thomas finally notices Miro's body relax. He's not trembling anymore, and he's thankful. He gets up and decides to go back to his bed. 

But before he heads back, he turns to Miro and leaves a soft kiss on his forehead. He's lucky to have him, after all. 

 

"How long until we get there?" One of the men asks. 

"Soon enough." Lukas announces.

Bastian moves closer to him.

"Are we close to Warsaw?" 

Lukas nods. It's close to sunset, and he knows they're forced to stop here for the night. They need the fire or they'll freeze to death. Lukas notices they don't have a single log with them left.  

"I'll get the wood for the fire." Lukas tells and Bastian nods. He knows Lukas is the fastest to get the job done. 

Miro finds his way next to Thomas, as everyone start setting up the tents.

"Are you cold?" Thomas realises he's being spoken to. 

"I'm okay, are you cold?" He replies.

"No," He smiles weakly. 

He's not sure what Miro has in mind, but he looks like he wants to say more. He turns to face him and finds his beautiful light eyes in front of him. He swallows. 

"What is it?" 

Miro's expression changes to a surprised one. He points at Thomas' neck. 

"You're wearing it!" 

Thomas automatically places his hand on the necklace. He usually keeps it in his bag, but lately he's scared someone might take it. It's safer on him.

"I.. I.. Well, I..."

"You have no idea how much it means to me." 

He can feel the usual blush crawling around him. His heart beat accelerating at the speed of light. He has to run. 

"I.. I... I gotta go." 

Thomas can't really find words to it's better to escape as he usually does. Except this time, Miro is faster and manages to grab his arm. 

"Hold on, what's the rush?" He smiles. 

It makes Thomas even more nervous. He's worse than a teenager. He shakes his head. Miro's smile drops to a confused one. Thomas pulls a bit and manages to get free of him.

"I'm sorry." He turns around and rushes away to the forest. 

Miro doesn't understand. What is he sorry about? Why isn't anything the same as it was back during those summers in Chiemsee? He has to know why. He follows the path Thomas took. 

 

It's dark by the time he finds him. He's sitting on the edge of a rock, looking up, surrounded by snow. 

"Thomas, finally."

"Miro?" He replies. He didn't expect him to follow him so far. 

Thomas fears what's standing in front of him: Miro has an desperate face, and it's all his fault. He finds his way next to Thomas, which doesn't help. Thomas' stomach is about to explode. 

"What's wrong?" Miro calmly asks. 

"What do you mean?"

"You're running away from me, you've never done that before." 

"I'm not runn-" His voice trails off. 

Miro knows him better than that, he doesn't have to say a word more before Thomas shakes his head. 

"It's complicated." He just adds.

"Is it because... of the camp?"

Thomas doesn't follow. "The camp?" He notices Miro is looking down.

"I understand if it's too much to take, you probably weren't expecting that burden when you saved me."

He realises what Miro must be thinking. Thomas intervenes. 

"Of course it's not about the camp Miro!"

Miro nods, but he's not convinced. Thomas notices his eyes are teary. 

"I'm so scared, scared of losing everyone I hold dear, I just, I don't want to lose you too."

Thomas' arms find his way just to get between his. For a moment, he lets himself go. It feels incredibly well, and he knows Miro appreciates the gesture.

"I wont ever leave you, I promise."

He means it. 

"You can't promise that." 

Thomas pulls away. "Watch me."

"Don't pull away, you were warming me up!" Miro teases. Thomas notices how his eyes manage to reflect the moonlight just bright enough above them. He needs to tell him how he feels, but it's hard, so hard. Miro has the right to know, even if it might not be requited. 

"I guess I do owe you an explanation." 

He knows Miro is waiting for him to continue, he swallows slowly before speaking, cheeks blushing red as usual.

"Miro... I... I have to tell you something." 

"Thomas?"

"Lately, I can't seem to think about anything else, and it's been, I don't know how to... How to fee...fe.. feel."

His mind travels back to the kiss, but he drops the thought aside. His voice is trembling. He doesn't understand why it's so hard for him to talk about his feelings. 

"You don't know how to what?" 

Thomas gives up and stands up. He takes another deep breath. He turns to find Miro has followed him. His eyes are still shinning so bright on him, it makes him look irresistible.

"I... I... have to tell you."

Miro takes a step closer to him, enough to put a hand on his shoulder. 

"You can trust me, anything you have to say, it's okay." Miro tranquillizes him. "I wont judge anything you're going through. We've all have dark times, but that's why we have each other. I know the war can be tough, especially on someone your age."

"I.. what?" 

Does Miro actually think this is caused by the war? He shakes his head. 

"No, you don't understand."

"Then what's wrong?"

Thomas can see Miro is honestly lost. He takes a deep breath, it's now or never.  _I love you._ That's all he has to say. 

"I..."

His sentence is interrupted by shots fired. Miro turns to the sky and Thomas feels his heart drop. 

"Gestapos," Miro gasps, as he grabs Thomas and pulls him back in direction of the camp. "Come on, we have to warn the others, they're close from here." 

Thomas nods as he focuses back. 

* * *

 

The shots wake Bastian up from a nap he was taking. He quickly reacts and grabs his gun. He's on his feet as soon as he can to count everyone. 

"It came from the south." Someone yells, but Bastian is looking around, he needs to find Lukas.  

He finds Thomas and Miro running back from the woods instead. 

"What was that?" He yells and Miro shakes his head. They weren't involved. 

"Has anyone seen Lukas?" He asks. 

"He hasn't come back." One of the men reply. 

Bastian's blood turns cold. Lukas. He left for wood hours ago. He shakes his head as he blindly runs the way the shots came from.  

He can barely hear Thomas' words, all he caught was "Basti wai-" but there's no time to wait, especially with Lukas out there.

He's running so fast he almost trips over. The snow is slowing him down and he curses it. He needs to make sure he's is alright.

To his surprise, the woods end faster than expected and he realises he's gotten to the road. There are lights on the side of the road bright enough to illuminate the nearby surroundings. He knows Lukas well enough to know he wouldn't have gone beyond it, knowing how dangerous it is.

 

Lukas has a survival instinct, and Bastian is fully aware of it. He turns around looking for hints. Maybe he missed something. He walks back a few steps. Nothing. Lukas has to be somewhere right? He catches a woodcutter's axe laying on top of the snow and a hat when he gives a final glance at the road before returning to the camp. His heart almost freezes. It's Lukas' hat. He could recognize it anywhere.

 

He jumps and grabs it. Lukas has definitely been here then. He hears voices and immediately takes cover behind the rock. He's so close to the road that if anyone passed through and focused on it, they would see him. He's thankful it's night. His head is spinning around. Where's Lukas? Maybe he hid, or ran away, though if he had ran away he would have returned to the camp, and he wasn't there.

"Did you get that Jew?" He can finally make out the mumbling. 

Bastian realises they're walking right on his tail. A drop of sweat drops from his forehead. He can't make a sound or he's dead. 

"He tried to run away, so I shot him. Sorry."

"That's alright. They're all going to die anyway."

It's not true, Bastian refuses to believe it. They couldn't have captured Lukas. 

"Dump his body on the side. It'll decompose." 

"Do you think he was part of the resistance?"

"You never know. He doesn't look like a civilian."

Bastian feels his heart beat like it did when Thomas and him took Miro out of Auschwitz. He catches a glimpse of a corpse being thrown above him. The feet of the body hit Bastian's legs, but he doesn't move. 

"Very well, let's go."

When they're gone, Bastian jumps to the body, holding tears in his eyes. He doesn't know how to react when he finds that the body isn't Lukas, but a stranger he has never even seen before. 

The wounds on his back are still fresh and he finds himself looking at the sky. It's not fair. 

"Bastian?" 

The blond turns to find Lukas covered in snow. He immediately gets up and jumps on him. Lukas manages to keep his balance with Bastian on him. He notices he's upset. 

"I thought you were dead!" Bastian admits, in a desperate voice.

"What are you doing here?" He asks, in a similar tone.

But instead of a reply, Bastian's lips find his way to Lukas' who shivers at the touch. Lukas' hands shift to land on Bastian's cheeks and remove the tears that have fallen on his face.

After a moment they break away, both of them breathless. 

"You're out of your mind." Lukas tells him. 

"Only for you..." Bastian admits, before kissing him again. 

Lukas smiles through the kiss as they stand there tangled for a moment, lost in each other. 

"We should head back.." He finally breaks away. Bastian nods. 

They pair walk between the snow, in the dark, with each other. 

"Have you.. How long have you.."

"Been wanting to do that? For a while.." Bastian blushes lightly.

"I've been wanting to do the same for a while too." Lukas winks at Basti.

Bastian finds a huge grin. "Just don't forget about it."

They both break into laughter. Poor Thomas. 

 

They're close to the camp now, and Bastian turns to Lukas. 

"Let's make this our secret. We don't know how the others will feel about it." He states. 

"I agree, no one can know."

Bastian nods, before Lukas pulls him close for a small peck again.

"We'll have to find ways to do this again, though." 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i had unexpected wojciech/robert feelings omg expect much more in future chapters..  
> i love schweinski so much  
> and THANK YOU for all your comments they really mean the world to me <3


	11. Elf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miro needs to find his mother, even though it may be dangerous, and Thomas doesn't like it.

Miro has trouble finding his breath, walking in the cold has left him shivering. He turns around. Thomas behind him puts a hand on his back. He can barely hear his words.

"Come on,"

"I'm tired." He complains.

"I know, but you can do it." 

He nods, and walks next to him. He feels Thomas get closer.

"We're there."

Miro takes a deep breath before looking ahead. He can't believe the sight. It's Warsaw, except it's nothing like the Warsaw he remembers. When he left, forced by the hand of the Nazis, the city still had buildings who had saved themselves from the bombs. 

He stands in front of a completely destroyed city. He feels heavy, and shakes his head. He has to find his mother. 

Thomas doesn't know what to do. He knows how Miro must feel. He can't begin to imagine how he'd feel if something like this happened to Munich. He settles for crossing his arm on Miro's shoulders. He guesses it's better to be quiet at times like these.

Lukas finds them both and notices the scene. He blushes before interrupting. 

"I have a friend who has a house not far from here. I'm sending you two and Bastian there. I'll catch up with you once I find a place for the men to stay."

Thomas nods, as Miro is still too busy staring at the ruins. 

"I need to go in." 

"I wouldn't think that's the best idea, they have the city rounded. As soon as see you they'll ask for papers you don't have, which means you'll be sent back to Auschwitz... if you're lucky." Lukas starts.

Thomas shrinks at the last part. He still has his arm on Miro and takes advantage to give him a small pat. 

"We should go.."

Miro's eyes find Thomas'. He notices the empty expression before nodding. He wants to help him so much, but there's nothing he can do.

 

Bastian knocks on the door. A blond girl opens it and her mouth drops, she was probably not expecting 3 armed soldiers in front of her.

"I... I'm looking for Marco Reus." He hesitates, Lukas did only tell him the name.

She nods. 

"Brother! They're here!"

The trio walk inside. A thin man with blond hair and dark blue eyes meets them. 

"Where's Lukas?"

"He'll be here in a while, he's settling everyone down."

"And you are...?"

"I'm Bastian Schweinsteiger, this is Thomas Müller and Miroslav Klose."

Marco raises an eyebrow. "You sound German." 

"We are both German." Thomas admits. "But you're not Polish at all."

"I'm from Dortmund." He justifies himself. "I'm sorry, we just have to be really careful. These dogs are everywhere."

Miro finds his way to the window as they talk. He can see lights coming from the city. More bombs. 

"Why do they keep bombing it?" 

The three turn to him, not expecting such question. Marco replies.

"They want to destroy Poland's main hope: the capital. They don't need a reason why."

When Miro doesn't say anything, Bastian turns back to Marco.

"So, when is it happening...?"

"Not now." Marco eyes his sister, who is cooking something for the boys. 

"Won't they come look for us?" Thomas asks.

"They wont. They think I'm on their side." Marco huffs.

"Do they?" 

"I'm an officer at the camp you see, I'm right under their noses."

 

 

They're forced to stay in the basement, as Bastian and Lukas already decided for the couch. Thomas finds Miro with open eyes with the only light coming from the small windows on the top. 

"You should get some sleep." 

"I don't feel like sleeping, I'm worried. I want to help but I'm useless."

"You wont be able to help anyone if you don't rest."

Miro turns to Thomas with a raised eyebrow before breaking into a smile.

"When did you turn into Mr. Wisdom?"

"I'm only looking out for you." Thomas admits, wondering if his tone will betray his feelings.

Miro takes a deep breath.

"I'm leaving tomorrow."

"Don't be silly, you heard what Lukas said."

"I have to find her, I hope you understand." 

"Miro..."

"I'm sorry Thomas."

Miro turns around and closes his eyes, leaving the Bavarian with an emptiness creeping upon him. He wont allow it. He promised himself he'd keep Miro safe, no matter where that'd take him.

"I'll go with you then."

He hears Miro's voice. "I'm not risking your life too."

"It's not open for discussion."

Miro's head turns back. He sighs. "My life is already a mess. Who cares if something worse happens? You're worth more."

Thomas feels his heart speed up. Miro continues. 

"I can't risk anything happening to you because you're the most important person in my life. I would never be able to continue if I knew you were gone."

"It's the same for you!" Thomas feels his eyes filling up with tears. This isn't happening. 

"You're not coming with me, and that's the end of it."

Out of desperation, Thomas turns around and shuts his eyes. As if keeping them shut would stop time, or stop Miro from leaving. He's not just leaving the camp which is bad enough, he's leaving Thomas. He gives in and stops fighting the tears who silently fall on his cheeks. 

 

The light is flowing through the window and Miro takes his chance. He'd rather leave early before confronting everyone. Thomas is sleeping deeply and he doesn't have the heart to wake him up. He leans closer to him and pets his head. He's really going to miss him. 

"We will see each other again" He whispers, before cleaning a tear on his own cheek. 

He hates doing this to Thomas, but he has to find her. Miro packs his bags and opens the door. The fresh sun is hitting down on him and he has to place his hand in front of his eyes to avoid hurting his eyes. 

"Where do you think you're going?" 

He freezes at Lukas' voice. He's speaking Polish. He woke up early to avoid these confrontations. 

"I have to find my mother, Lukas. Please understand." He notices Lukas is holding the letter he left in the kitchen explaining why he was going to leave. 

"Do you really think she'll be there?"

"I have to try!" He shouts. 

"Miro, calm down, I have to show you something, and then you're free to go." 

He's not sure why, but Miro agrees. They pass the living room to find a sleepy Bastian on the couch. Miro wonders where Lukas slept, as the couch looks rather small. Lukas brings him downstairs: Thomas is still sleeping against the wall curled around a blanket, just how Miro left him earlier.

"He's not going to make it without you."

"What are you talking about? He's young and has plenty of energy." Miro snaps back, as if Lukas knew him better than he did.

"Yeah, but you're his driving force." 

"I'm no-"

"Maybe you're right, but... are you going to make it without him?"

Miro feels his heart blush. 

"I..I what? "

Lukas shrugs, turning around and return upstairs. Miro stares at Thomas with his heart racing. 

 

There's a cool breeze on his face, and his eyes slowly open. There's the blue sky above him clear of clouds, just the sun hitting his face softly enough. He takes a deep breath. His hands feel grass. It's comfortable. He looks down to find trees and a big field of grass tall enough to hide him. His head is lying on something smooth, but he's unable to figure out exactly what is is. 

"You're finally awake!"

Miro tilts his head upwards a bit, to find Thomas staring down at him. He realises he's on his lap. How long has he been like this?

"Thomas..?" His voice is weak. 

"It's okay, we're safe here."

Thomas looks back to the field. Miro dares to ask.

"Where are we?" 

"It's our meadow." 

Miro takes another look from where he's laying. Thomas is right, they're at Chiemsee. He shakes his head in disbelief, how did they get here so fast? Why can't he remember getting here. 

"Just relax..." 

He feel Thomas' fingers in his hair. They play around it and his voice calms him down. He can forget about everything that's going on around him. The bombs and concentration camps seem so distant from him now. Everything is Thomas and him. He even finds the urge to smile. He can't remember the last time he felt this nice. He could spend hours laying like this.  

"I'm glad you're here, Miro." 

He gets up and turns to Thomas. He looks so calm, as his eyes turn to face his own.

"What is it?" He innocently asks.

"I don't know what to do." He admits. 

"Do what you've always done." 

"What I've always done?" 

"Follow your instinct. Like that one time that little boys ball got stuck in the tree and asked you for help. You could have refused, but you didn't." 

"I felt like helping... I wouldn't have met you if I had chosen otherwise."

"I'm glad you did." 

His answer is so uplifting Miro doesn't even know what to refute. He watches as Thomas stands on his feet and focuses on the horizon.

"Catch me if you can!" 

"What?" 

Thomas winks and turns around and starts sprinting. Miro catches how he jumps and crosses the grass before reacting.

"Thomas, wait!" 

He stands up and automatically follows him. 

"You're so slow!" Thomas shouts and Miro speeds up. 

It feels so weird running through the field. He feels the energy building up inside him. He can't hold it in anymore, he shouts out of euphoria. Thomas doesn't slow down either, they get to the forest, and down the path, except the woods don't end like they usually do to end up to the lake, they keep appearing. 

He keeps running, until he realises he can't see Thomas anymore. 

Panic floods him. 

"Thomas?" 

No reply. He's forced to slow down. He's in the middle of the woods and alone. The sky is now gray and he can't find the way back. 

"I'm lost!" He shouts again. 

He manages to catch at the corner of his eye smoke. A lot of smoke coming from a distance, like...

"Auschwitz."

His legs order him to run again, but this time it's out of fear, he hurries to the opposite side of the camp and runs as fast as he can. It's too much, and he's forced to stop. 

"I.. I'm lost..." He whimpers as he falls to his knees, his body giving in. 

"Miro." 

He looks up to find Thomas. Why is it that he's always saving him? Thomas gives him his hand, with a smile.

"It's me, Thomas!"

Miro accepts without hesitation, as Thomas pulls him with him. In the blink of an eye he's back in the blue clear sky without the horrors he's been through.

Thomas stops, he turns around and chuckles. He needs to know why he's always there for him, why he's never let him down. 

"Thomas, I need to ask you something."

"Sure,"

"Why me?" 

The boy smiles widely and takes a step closer to him. "Because... it's you Miro!" 

Miro blinks, and a wave of relief fills his body. He takes a step forward and without thinking takes Thomas in his arms and leans a kiss on his lips. To his surprise, Thomas doesn't even fight back, in fact, he deepens the kiss to the point where they lose their balance. 

He opens his eyes when they fall, and he's not in the meadow anymore, he's not in the woods either kissing or running with Thomas, instead, Thomas is next to him with a worried expression on his face.

"Miro, calm down, it was only a dream."

"What?"

"You were shouting and you pretty much woke everybody up." Thomas explains, his face filled with concern.

Miro looks at Thomas and his brain travels back to what he was dreaming just before. He's standing so close it's hard not to follow his impulse and do the same thing. Maybe Thomas would react the same way he did...  

But he doesn't, Thomas pulls away and sits next to him, arms crossed, avoiding his look. 

"So, when are you leaving?"

Leave? He takes a look at Thomas, who seems to be staring endlessly at the ground. He must have fallen asleep after Lukas left. Looking back at the ceiling, he smiles. 

"I think I'm.. staying."

He can feel Thomas' face turn back at him. He eventually gives in and looks back. He has the usual huge grin on his face, and he jumps on him. 

Miro holds him back like he's never held him before. Lukas is right, and he hates to admit it, but he can't live without Thomas. He's the one to keep him sane. 

"Are you okay?" Thomas dares to ask as he pulls away.

Miro looks at his eyes, then at his lips, before nodding and smiling warmly. 

"I will be." 

 

 

Lukas presses a soft kiss on Bastian's lips before they walk outside. 

"What are you doing?" Bastian looks around.

"No one's watching.. I checked" He winks, as he leans again, except this time Bastian shakes his head. "You have to wait until tonight." 

"You're such a tease Schweinsteiger..." 

"Come on, we need to meet the others."

They hurry outside to find Marco and the rest of the crew. A tall man is standing next to Marco. 

"Lewandowski sent me a note saying the grenades will be ready in two days."

"Is that the guy who's in?" Bastian asks.

The tall man replies. "Yeah, watch your tongue Bavarian."

"Hey, he's with us." Lukas automatically intervenes. 

"I've learnt not to trust Munich boys. They're all the same."

"What are you talking about?" Bastian replies. 

"Calm down boys," Marco stops them. "Sorry about Woj. He's really close to Lewy and he's been really worried lately."

The man named Woj rolls his eyes. "Yeah, sorry." Thomas and Miroslav join them. 

"This is the plan, we have to wait for his signal and we go in. I'll be inside, they know me. Once you see the signal you order the men in, do you understand?" 

Lukas nods.

"What's the signal?" Thomas asks.

"You'll know it when you see it." Marco replies. "Woj, you're with Lukas. As soon as you get in and find me, your objective is to find Robert and the others, then we evacuate the prisoners. I'll get the gates open. Our top priority is saving lives, so stay focused." He looks at the pair. "Thomas, you look fast, you're going with Woj and Lukas."

Thomas turns to Miro his eyes filled with concern. 

"Miroslav.. is it? I know you've been through hard times, so I'll go easy on you, you're going to wait outside with Bastian, to help the prisoners who do manage to escape. The other men will take care of the guards. We'll all meet up at your position. You'll obviously all have a gun on you and I expect you to use it." 

"I've never shot a gun before." Miro admits.

"You'll learn from here to Friday." 

"Marco!" Lukas protests, but it's useless.

"We need every man we can get, alright?" 

"It's alright." Miro nods. "But where will the people go? We can't feed so many hungry mouths."

"There's a train waiting for them, to take them into Switzerland. It's one of our specialities. We've done this before. All we need is to get the prisoners to the train about 10 miles south from here."

Lukas nods.

"Let's get ready then."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for taking so long, school is draining all my entire energy.  
> I managed to find time to write for a bit though so I hope you all like it :)


	12. Zwölf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert is ready to save Treblinka, and so is Miro to save Thomas.

It's time.

Robert takes a deep breath before getting up. It's late, the night call ups are done and they're supposed to be sleeping. He hasn't been long here, but he's been long enough. It's a living nightmare and he's longed so much for Woj's arms. His way of dealing with it is thinking about his kisses, his hugs, his everything. Robert finds comfort in the illusion of Woj's smile within his mind. 

But he has to do this. He has to save the prisoners. 

He's warned the inmates living with him in the barracks about it. They all know they're supposed to run and escape. Today is the night they help the innocent free.

 

Lukas glances back at Bastian, he's terribly worried about him. If he had it his way he and Bastian would be far away from the war and everything about it. His attention drifts to Thomas who's hugging Miro. They look lost in each other, the same way Lukas feels in Bastian's arms at night, when no one is watching.

Basti notices and winks back, what a tease.

 

"What's the signal?" Thomas annoyingly asks, when the three of them, including Marco are advancing near the camp. 

"You'll know it when you see it, kid." Marco puts the nazi flag on his arm and nods. "Okay, Lukas, you know what to do. I guess this is it." 

"Be careful." Lukas warns as Marco turns around. Instead, he turns around and winks. "I always am."

 

"Do you think you could teach me Polish?" Thomas speaks looking at the stars.

"It's a hard language."

"I think Miro would like it."

"He likes you just the way you are, don't worry."

Thomas sighs. "I don't think he feels the same way. Sure, he cares about me, but it's just in a friends way. It's not like what you and Bastian have."

Lukas' head turns immediately at Thomas.

"What?! How do you know we-?"

Thomas' expression is neutral, as if he had just stated he was hungry. He shrugs.

"Haven't you always been together?" 

"No.. just recently we shared our first kiss..."

"Really? I thought you used to make out in Bastian's room all those times I walked in on you two and found you together when we were kids." 

"We... What? Listen Thomas, not a word to the others, people... might not accept it like you do."

"I know."

Lukas sighs, he knows he can trust Thomas. Suddenly, a huge explosion from inside the camp surprises them. It seems to come from the center of the camp.

"I think that's our signal." Lukas gets up as he takes out his gun. "NOW!" He screams, and Thomas catches the army of men walking towards them. 

 

It's hard to find oneself at a time like this, Thomas watches how the gates open to let thousands, no, million of prisoners running for their lives. There's gunshots everywhere around him. He almost loses Lukas who grabs his neck.

"Müller, snap back!" 

He nods and follows him.

"We have to find Marco!" 

"He's at the center" Lukas yells. 

Some desperate prisoners run into Thomas and the impact is too strong to make him lose balance and fall on his back. He puts his hands up to avoid damage from the other people running from the Nazi wolves. Lukas falls on top of him and immediately checks if he's not hit.

"I'm fine!" Thomas yells, and it's enough for Lukas to pull him back on his feet.

They eventually find the destroyed building at the center, only to witness the back of the camp being fired up in flames as well. Marco comes from behind and tells them to follow them. 

"Lewy is in the south wing!" He lets Lukas know, and the both start rushing. 

 

"You look like you've been through hell!" Marco throws a vest and a gun to a prisoner, who winks back.

"Is everyone out?"

"Our forces managed to overtake them." Lukas nods. 

"Who's this?" The prisoner is now addressing Thomas. 

"A friend." Lukas replies instead. He smiles.

"I'm Robert, some Nazis call me Satan, because I'm a nightmare for them." He turns to Marco. "Let's get out of hell." 

 

They're escaping through the explosions and the gun shots. Thomas is lucky to be fast, or he'd probably be long dead. It's a horrific feeling to run between bodies on the ground, but he has no choice. Lukas and Marco keep waving at them, and he follows their lead. They cover from explosions and hurry past the people escaping. Most of them are out of the place, but some are still remaining. 

It's not a sight he'll forget soon. 

He spots an Officer with a woman on his right, it's enough to call his attention to stop. She looks beaten up and unable to fight back and he's dragging her into the building. He has to help. Without thinking, he lets Lukas go and follows him in. 

 

Miro's helping a sick woman get some water. She's dehydrated and needs to be taken care of.

"Hey, look at me." The woman's eyes lousily focus on him. "You're going to be alright, we got you. You're safe now. I was the same as you, and look at me now, it'll be the same for you." 

It seems to work, as her fast breathing calms down. He gets up and she moves to the rest of the prisoners. Bastian joins him.

"You have a gift."

Miro blushes. "I think that's all of them." They both notice no one else is coming down the path. They both heard the explosions from afar and they can only hope for the best. Thankfully, It's not long before they see them rush out of the dark. 

Lukas falls straight into Bastian's arms. They hold each other close long enough before anyone starts suspecting.

"Is that all of them?" Woj interrupts them. Lukas separates from Bastian and nods. They turn to Marco who's checking how the prisoners have been placed. 

Miro notices they're all back, except...

"Where's Thomas?" 

Lukas turns around. "He was right behind me."

"Where's Thomas!?" He repeats. 

"I.." 

Bastian stares at Lukas, waiting for an answer. When he shakes his head, he starts asking questions to the men, about the skinny blond boy, but Miro can't wait that long. He's already on his way to the camp. 

 

"Let her go." He has the gun pointed at the Nazi's back. He didn't know he could be this cold in his tone. 

"Oh really now?" He turns around and Thomas notices she's not breathing. He lets go of her body and it crumbles to the ground. Thomas realises he has just murdered her. He's too late. "Do you realise who I am?" 

"I don't care." He replies dryly. He points the gun at his head. 

"How old are you? Have you even held a gun before? You should care, as we're both meeting our end here." 

Thomas' expression changes to a confused one. He's the one who has the gun pointed at him, not the other way around. The man suddenly jumps across the room and hides behind the desk. It's too fast for Thomas to even aim. He takes advantage and pulls out a gun and starts shooting back at the Bavarian, who immediately hides behind the wall. 

He's never felt like this before. His entire body is rushing and he can't even think straight. One more wrong move and he's dead. 

"They'll have me hanged once they see what happened here. If I'm going down, I'm dragging your rebel ass down with me. Tell me, are you a Jew? Maybe a Gypsy?"

Thomas glances to his left, to manage a partial view on the room. He almost misses the little green weapon flying across the room. 

"It doesn't matter, you're good as dead anyway." 

He realises what is it. He needs to get out. He rushes to the door without hesitation under fire. It's the least of his issues now. He needs to run from a grenade that's about to explode. 

How long has he got? 5 seconds? 10 at the most? His only thoughts are  _run, run, run._

He stumbles upon some rocks as he rushes and gets up almost immediately, growling in pain. 

Not even 5 meters after sprinting, he feels it. The explosion behind him pulls his feet off the ground and pushes him down the road. He lands in mud and tries to move, but he can't. A unbearable pain from his lower back immobilizes him. Did he break his back? That would be really inconvenient. His vision is blurry, is this were it all ends? What will his parents think? What will his friends think? What will Miro think? He'll never know how much Thomas loves him. He wishes he could have told Miro how he feels, just for the sake of it. 

Miro. The image of the man he loves invades his mind. He can't die here. He has to protect him. He has to protect...

He gathers the strength to get up, even if it hurts, even if he stumbles, he has to find his way back. His vision is getting better, it's clear enough to see silhouettes in front of him. Maybe more officers? More prisoners? They must have evacuated by now, and the soldiers should be dead, or stopping the prisoners. Maybe it's the guy who just killed himself. He doesn't know what's going on. 

A pair of hands stop him stumbling again. 

"Thomas." Miro's voice comes as a miracle. He manages to focus on his face, ignoring the obscure situation. A weak smile betrays him. 

"I-Im ka-y" He manages to mumble. "How-How- did you find-d- me-"

"Oh Thomas," His voice is filled with concern, Thomas doesn't actually remember ever hearing him like this, maybe except when he broke his leg when he was younger. 

Another explosion forces Miro to cover Thomas' fragile body. It sends them both back a few steps. Miro's grip is tight on Thomas, who's struggling to keep focus. He feels Miro's hands all over his body. 

He touches a sensitive spot, it makes Thomas whimper. His head falls to Miro's shoulder. 

"You're hit in the back." He explains. His expression is neutral, and doesn't give away how bad it is. 

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" 

Miro looks up at a tall man, who's wearing a combination of prisoners clothes and armor. Thomas decides he prefers to stay on Miro's shoulder. 

"You need to get out of here" He orders. 

"He's hit." Miro replies. "Help him up." 

Between the man and Miro, they manage to pull Thomas out of the camp, just far enough to avoid any more explosions. The camp of Treblinka has suffered irreparable damage. It's set in fire and smoke. 

"Who are you?" Miro asks.

"I'm Robert Lewandowski. The mastermind of this operation. I know this lad, he was evacuating the camp with us, but I guess he got held back." 

The pair turn to the younger who seems to be trying to say something. "Satan.."

Miro raises an eyebrow at Thomas, as Robert laughs. 

"He's a fighter this one, most men would have died at this point." Robert remarks, as he leaves Thomas' weight for Miro to handle. 

"Mirooooooo..." Thomas mumbles, which makes Miro's attention to be completely on Thomas. 

"I need to check the front tower, I'll be right back. Stay here." 

Miro watches Robert run back to the camp, his heart is heavy. He needs to heal Thomas as soon as possible.

"I'm here." Miro tries desperately to let Thomas know. He's not going to die, not under his watch. 

"I-- I haven't been honest with you." He manages to pull his head up enough to make eye contact with Miro. 

"It's okay you.. you can tell me later. You need to..."

"Mirooooo..."

Thomas' other arm finds it's way to Miro's shoulder, giving them very small space between their faces. His eyes try to focus on his icy blue ones, he's shaking, but he has to tell him.

"I love you." 

It comes out as a whisper, but it's enough for Miro's eyes to widen. He places his hands on Thomas' head so he can see his eyes properly.

"I love you too, Thomas, don't ever think I don't know that, you're my best friend."

"Not like that... Not like that..I.. I love you... I love you... like... "

Miro doesn't reply, actually, he doesn't even move a muscle. He's just holding Thomas so he won't shake more. 

"The true love kind!" 

Thomas' eyes are filled with tears, and Miro doesn't know if they're out of emotion or pain. 

"I had to say it. I'm sorry. I love you with all my heart, like I've never loved anyone. It's you I want for the rest of my life." 

Thomas shifts his body a bit more to stand on his own feet. He gives up when he finds he doesn't have the strength to do it on his own. Miro shakes his head: A feeling of relief flows through him. It's as if he wanted Thomas to love him. 

"Oh--" He starts.

"Don't say anything, I just needed you to know."

He does feel relieved, but it's simply because Miro was afraid he had fallen in love alone. He was too afraid he wouldn't even admit it. One of his hands travel to his cheeks, who are covered in dirt. He cleans it softly with his fingers. He pulls back the messy hair away from his face. He doesn't need words, he thinks, as he leans closer and seals the gap with a kiss.

He feels Thomas smile through it, and the reality of it all blows his mind. He's not dreaming, Thomas is kissing him softly back. It's not long before Thomas has to pull away to exhale. His smile is so wide you wouldn't expect him to be injured.

"I really do love you too." 

"Miro..." Thomas manages to whisper as he lets himself go to find his lips again. The feeling of them against his own excels his expectations. He hadn't had the opportunity to enjoy it the first time it happened. Now he's making up for it for every breath, every peck. He can't believe this is happening. 

 

Robert awkwardly watches them and blushes. They probably haven't noticed he's been back for the past 5 minutes. Yet, he understands. He'll do the same thing to Woj once he's back.

"We... Uh.. "

It's useless though, they're lost in each other. He wonders how the boy can be kissing someone in that condition. He tries again. 

"Guys.." 

The browned haired man pulls away, and Thomas drops his head on his shoulder. Robert can even catch the blush on his face. He tilts his head a bit, suddenly nervous about his presence. "Yeah?" He asks awkwardly, hoping no mention of it. Robert plays perfectly along with it.

"We... We.. We need to find the others." 

Miro nods, as he starts walking towards him, with Thomas resting part of his weight on him.

 

They need to walk quickly, Marco's house isn't safe anymore. They set up camp again in the middle of the woods. Tomorrow the prisoners will be off and away in a train safely to Switzerland. Thomas is cursing at the pain from his back. Bastian tried his best to treat his injury, but it still hurts a bit. 

"It didn't go in so deep, he was lucky." 

Thomas tilts his head around to find Bastian talking to Miro. They haven't talked since... that kiss. He can't stop thinking about that moment. His eyes close and he's in his arms again, safe from harm.

"Hey, Mülli." 

Thomas opens them to find Miro's head on top of him. He leans over and drops a small kiss on his forehead leaving Thomas in an incredible blush. 

"I have to be dreaming." 

Miro smiles and shakes his head. Thomas groans, which brings back the concern on Miro's face.

"I know how I'd feel better." He tries. "If you'd hold me... just... right now.. I'm sure I'd.."

He doesn't have to say another word before Miro already has found his way to Thomas' side.

"As long as I don't hurt you." 

"You'd never hurt me." Thomas softly answers as his head finds Miro's and they both gaze at each other for a moment. 

"Since when?" Miro dares to ask, to break the silence.

"A long time..." He admits in a shy voice. "But... I only realised it recently." 

"Same for me, then."

Thomas smiles, and gives him a wink. "That first kiss knocked my world out of kilter."

"Tonight's kiss?"

"No, the first kiss you gave me." 

"Huh?" Miro doesn't follow up. 

"Remember you had a fever? Well I took care of you during those days... And at one point... You kissed me, then forgot about it, because you forgot everything, which I'm glad, I wouldn't want you remembering bad times in Auschwitz. But you also forgot you kissed me."

Miro's face is white as a ghost. "I--I did what?"

"Don't worry, it was a good thing." Thomas smiles approaching each time his face, ignoring the pain from his back 

"Was it now?" Miro laughs. "There's something about you Thomas, I can't put my finger on it." 

Thomas lets his lips find his again. His hands are curled against his chest while Miro's hands play softly with his hair. Miro is actually an amazing kisser, just as he had expected him to be. 

"Thomas.." Miro whispers through his teeth. "You're injured." 

He pulls away "It's just a scratch."

Miro looks like he wants to say something but hesitates. 

"What is it?"

"What?"

Thomas raises an eyebrow which makes Miro look away. "It's just... I'm.. old. I met you as a kid. You're so young... What will the others say?" 

"I'm far from being a kid now. We can keep it from the others... Besides Miro, your age isn't a bad thing, it actually makes you really attractive."

Miro lets out an involontary splutter that is immediately muffle by Thomas' lips, kissing him again. 

 

"Thought I'd find you here." 

Woj turns around to find Robert sitting down next to him. He shakes his head.

"I'm angry at you." 

"Oh come on Woj! I'm alive! I saved thousands of lives! We both did."

"You could have died."

Robert can't deal with this anymore, he grabs Woj's hand and pulls him towards him. 

"You were the one thing that kept me together in there. If i didn't have you I would have died, so you did save my life."

Woj's eyes widen, leaving a surprised expression on him.

"I.. Just... Don't leave again."

"I promise we're staying together from now on." Robert leans closer and drops his lips on his beloved, who in response, moves closer. 

"What happens now?" Woj asks after a very nice moment.

"I heard the Japanese bombed Americans."

"Which means?"

"They're in. America has joined the allies, and let me tell you, I'm sure this is the beginning to the end of the war."

"Where do we fit in all this?"

Robert sighs. "I want Poland free, I'm going to keep fighting Hitler and his sheep."

"Then count me in." Woj smiles, and he's never looked more beautiful under the moonlight to Robert as tonight.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been 4 months since i started this, i wanted to thank everyone for keeping being here and reading and commenting each chapter <3 it means the world :'D  
> I tried really hard to write this chapter because of that Thomas/Miro moment, I hope you like it :D


	13. Dreizehn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The story continues...

"They're going to be okay." Bastian pats Miro, as they both watch the train move away with all the prisoners abroad. It should be arriving to it's destination in a few days. They've taken care of the paperwork. For all Nazis, they're simply being moved to another concentration camp. 

"What about us?" Miro sighs. 

"I think Robert has something." 

 

They walk back to the camp, where everyone is sitting near the fire. Lewy seems focused on the map, while Woj is waiting for him to address them. Miro finds Thomas in the crowd, who immediately smiles at his sight. 

"We need to pick what our next move is." Robert finally speaks up, catching everyone's attention. "We've done a lot, far more than I can ask all of you. So we need to decide what's next all together."

"I want to go home!" A soldier yells. 

"We can't. Nazi dogs are everywhere, they'll catch us." Woj replies dryly. 

Lukas jumps in. "Helping another camp is too risky, they'll reinforce every camp they can." 

"They want to eliminate Jews from this world." Marco admits. 

"What?"

"They're planning on gassing them, it's much worst than we thought. When I was in there they shared the plan, they were even celebrating, those pigs. They have these gas chambers, they tell the prisoners they're going to get a shower, and then they use toxic gas to kill them."

"Everyone? That's madness, they can't wipe out an entire race. I mean, what happens to the bodies? They can't hide millions of bodies!" Woj asks, skeptical. 

"They send some prisoners to bury or burn them." Miroslav adds in a calm tone, looking at the ground. "Sonderkommandos." 

"How would you know that?" A soldier interrupts. 

Thomas defends Miro. "He was in a camp, you should show more respect."

Marco interrupts. "Calm down, I assure you what I'm telling you is true. That's their plan."

"We need to stop them." Bastian adds. 

Robert, who has kept quiet all this time, shakes his head. 

"There's too many camps, how can we save them all?" Woj adds. 

"We need help." Robert speaks up. Everyone turns to him. "We need to find a way to contact the allies. They don't know civilians are dying. It's not human to even imagine... how far they're going." 

"Are there still Jews in the Ghetto?" Miro asks. "There were plenty of them before I got caught." 

"Some of them, probably." 

"We could try to smuggle the children out."

Bastian agrees. "I'm in to save the young ones, they've nothing to do with this."

"We'll need fake documents, I know someone who can help us." Marco nods. "I'll get to it right away." 

"We need to talk to the British, France is long gone. If we're lucky we can even get Americans on our side."

"The Soviet Union is in as well." Some other soldier speaks up.

"Soviets betrayed us as well, we can expect no help from Stalin." Robert shakes his head with a bitter tone.

 

"Are you sure about this?" Woj asks Robert, when everyone is back to their business. "They might not care." 

"It's not in our hands anymore then, listen, we can't save everyone ourselves. I already sacrificed so many lives for Treblinka. We knew it was the price to pay. I don't want anyone else dead."

"I understand, but how will you contact them?" 

Robert's devilish grin shows up, which lets Woj know he has a plan. He always has a plan.

"You're coming with me."

* * *

Robert has been gone for about two weeks now and the planning for the Ghetto has advanced. Thomas catches Miro gazing at him from time to time, which makes him feel embarrassed, even if it feels good. Bastian gives him a soft push.

"Hey lover boy, quit staring at Miro and help me out. We're going in tomorrow to the Ghetto." 

He nods, but doesn't stop looking at Miro having a chat with Marco, he's so beautiful, he thinks. 

"You two lovebirds will be waiting in the streets, we'll talk to the officers and show the papers, okay? You just have to be ready outside to move the children."

"Are we also helping the women?" 

"If we can manage, some, I hope." 

"Maybe Miro's mom is living there." 

"Maybe, we can't really risk an entire operation for one person, though."

Thomas sighs. He hates that he's right, he just hopes Miro will be able to understand it as well.

 

"Is it always this cold at this time of year?" Thomas can't stop shaking because of the snowy weather. Miro smiles, he finds him adorable like that. "Just some days." 

He takes the Bavarian in his arms for a moment to help him temperature rise. When Thomas stops trembling, he pulls away, only to be followed by an annoyed whimper. 

"I'm still cold, don't move away."

They're waiting for Bastian to come back with prisoners out of the Ghetto. Thomas settles for Miro's hand when he doesn't move closer to him again.

Miro knows well these streets, he's lived here most of his life. Around the corner there used to be a baker shop, he would always wake up early and buy some fresh bread. Nostalgia hits him. He can't say he misses it, he never really was a part of the crowd, he always longed for the summer to go Chiemsee, but it was still a big part of his life. 

His mind moves to his mother. There's nothing he can do except lie and tell himself she's still alive. It's immature, but it's what is keeping him together right now. He's close to the street he used to live in. A stupid hope settles in his head. Maybe she still lives there. 

He takes a look at Thomas, who is still playing with his hand innocently. He knows if he tells him he's going to look for his mother, he'll follow him. But he has to try. 

"I'll be right back." 

"Where are we going?" 

"I'll be right back." He repeats. "You need to wait here for Bastian or Lukas."

"I'm not letting you go alone Miro." Thomas replies, unimpressed. "You should have figured that out by now." 

Miro sighs. He gets up and starts walking, leaving Thomas in the alley. He doesn't take more than 5 steps when he turns around and finds the Bavarian following him. 

"Thomas, please."

"Wherever we're going, we should hurry. Bastian can come at any moment." 

He trusts Thomas, after all. Maybe he'll understand. 

"I want to see my old house." He's expecting a list of reasons why they shouldn't go, but Thomas does the opposite.

"Show the way, then."

 

They arrive to the street and Miro feels his heart drop. The entire street is wiped out. When they left for the shelter, they left their house damaged, but there's not even a house anymore: there's no roof left to bomb, there's only a third of the walls of the the home that has faded from him. He hates Hitler. He hates this stupid war, he hates the Germans who have destroyed his life. He hates them all.

Thomas catches how Miro starts breathing faster, he knew coming here could only bring suffering, but he wouldn't have been able to stop Miro. He tries to speak to him. 

"Miro.." 

"I..." He's lost at words, so much anger going through him. "I need a moment." 

Thomas shakes his head. He doesn't want to, it's dangerous. 

"Please."

Miro moves his legs hoping Thomas wont follow. He doesn't. He's surprised, to turn around and find the boy watching him go. Thomas watches how Miro walks towards what is now ruins. When you love someone you have to give them freedom, and Thomas figures he has to say goodbye.

* * *

The walls that used to stand so tall are crumbled to the ground. How is that possible? They were made for shelter, only to fail at their only purpose in life. What was Miro's purpose? He had done nothing to help the world. He had always known Hitler was trouble, yet he hadn't done enough to avoid this tragedy, and look where that had brought him. 

Always being saved, never saving anyone.

His world had fallen apart, the future didn't look promising either. If Germany wins the war, he'll have to spend his entire life running. Hiding. This isn't what he wanted for himself. He just wants peace. He wants it so desperately. 

He catches a tear fall on the floor. He hadn't even noticed he was crying. He turns to the broken ceiling and exhales. It's cold enough to see his breath. How does one find happiness when so much has been taken away?

A voice surprises him.

"I'm sorry about your house, Miro." 

He turns to find Thomas, with a hopeless look on his face. Has he been standing there long? His voice is weak, as if he was afraid to upset Miro. 

"I know you asked me to stay away, but I just wanted you to know I'll always be here for you, no matter what." 

His voice is so honest, it's surprising how mature he can be at such a young age. 

"I don't know where to go, I don't... I'm alone, I don't know if she's alive... My grandfather might be dead for all I know, and... I just... I don't even have a house left. How did it come to this?"

"You can stay with me." 

"Wont your parents dislike that idea?"

"I meant what I said, I want to be with you forever. I don't even think I could go back to them. It doesn't matter. I just want you." 

They both stand in silence. 

"You're always saving me, but I never save anyone, does that make me weak?" 

"Miro, you've saved me all my life, I wouldn't be half the person I am today if it weren't for you. I hate to admit it, but I'd probably be like my father. You made me a better person, you saved me." 

It's funny how much impact Thomas' words have on him. All those summers he longed for, they weren't for Germany, he had wanted to go home to Thomas. He hadn't realised that the boy had become his home at the time. 

"We saved each other." Miro sighs, and can't deny the butterflies coming from his stomach.

That attitude of his in which he could never stay quiet for more than 5 minutes, in the end, made him the guy he couldn't resist. Miro finally gathers the strength to walk to Thomas. He doesn't say a word, instead he falls straight into his arms. Thomas holds him tight. The only person who could possible keep him together is with him, and he knows that's all he needs. 

* * *

Bastian gives Lukas a wink, as the officer comes back with the papers. 

"Be quick and quiet about this." He has a strong voice. 

They both nod, and they're in the Ghetto without any delay. Lukas finds a couple of small girls, and tells them to gather their friends. Bastian finds a mother with a baby, he decides to tell her about the operation.

After a while, a nice bunch of children from all ages are ready, and Lukas decides to take out the first unit. He turns to Bastian. 

"I'll be right back, rally more people up." 

"I love you, Lukas." 

It comes as natural and unexpected that even Bastian himself is surprised. Lukas gives him a warm smile back.

"I love you too,"

Bastian watches how Lukas takes the lead of the group, before raising his voice again, he needs to prepare them for the journey. 

 

As Lukas approaches the meeting point, he notices Miro and Thomas. 

"Hey, you two, here we are."

"No problems I presume?" Thomas asks, letting go of Miro's hand, out of precaution. 

"I'll go back and fetch another group, can you handle these ones, and take them to the train station?" 

Miro nods, starts talking to the little kids and the numbered women who are pregnant or have a small child with them. 

"Marco will be waiting at the station, so hurry up, you know he's not a patient man."

 

"Bastian Schweinsteiger." 

Bastian freezes at the name. He didn't give out his true identity to the officers, they weren't supposed to know his name, this can only mean one thing.

"I didn't think you'd be stupid enough to come back after you helped a prisoner out of Auschwitz, are you here with um, Müller was it?" 

He slowly turns around to face a familiar face, he could swear he's seen it before, but he's having trouble placing it. 

"But again, you always were a Jew defender, should have known. You couldn't leave Podolski alone, could you?"

It comes back to him, it's Franz, an old friend of his back in München. He was a part of the bunch who always bullied Lukas. He's grown a beard, which gives him a more authoritarian look. He shakes his head.

"Franz, please..." 

"Please, what? Save your life? Didn't you realise you've sentenced your father and yourself the second you decided to go against the Führer?"

"It's wrong. All of it, you're killing innocent lives!"

"You can't believe that."

"You're murderers." He can't stop himself, to which Franz' eyes widen. He shakes his head, and pulls out a whistle. 

"You'll regret ever saying that."

Bastian watches how he puts it in his mouth and the next thing he knows, Nazi officers are on him, arresting him and dragging him somewhere he knows wont be pleasant. 

It's not a surprise his thoughts are Lukas. Hopefully he was luckier and managed to escape. The last thing he registers is the snow on his knees as he's being dragged. A black stick hits him right on the face and it's all black. 

 

"I'm sorry, where are you taking us?" A woman approaches Thomas, as he is helping the younger kids get on the wagon of the train. He can't blame her for being suspicious, after all the rumours. She's carrying a little boy in her arms. He must be 3 year old at the most. 

"Switzerland, away from the horrors of this world." Marco intervenes, which calms him down. He doesn't want to say something wrong and give the wrong idea. "You'll be taken to a temporary house, until the situation in Europe improves. There will be beds, food, and clothes." 

"Is there any chance there's a stop in München, Germany?" The woman sighs. 

"München?" Thomas remarks, surprised. His home town is the last place he could have imagined right now. 

Marco denies. "I'm sorry, but you'll be safer in Switzerland, where the Nazis can't touch you." 

She nods and seems to understand. She turns to sit down with her son. He has blue shiny eyes, and blond hair. Thomas is glad they saved them. He joins her.

"What's his name?" 

"Julian." She smiles. 

The boy looks at Thomas and smiles widely, it warms both their hearts. It's nice to see Hitler hasn't touched everyone's happiness yet. The woman is trying to put away in her small purse their real papers, having to use their fake ones from now on. He offers to help. The two passports are listed with their names.  _Julian and Claudia Lahm._

The last name reminds him of Philipp, back at Dachau. He wonders how him and Holger are doing. 

"I'm actually from München, why do you want to go there?" Thomas ponders, being incredibly curious. 

"My husband is there, or was... I've been told he's dead, but I don't believe them. He's far too brilliant to get himself killed." 

Having someone dear taken away from you and expecting the worse. Having been there, Thomas understands. He's terribly lucky to have Miro at his side. 

"I know it's stupid, and it mostly means I might die trying but I'm going to find him."

He does know it's wasn't the healthiest or smartest thing, but no one could have stopped him from saving Miro from Auschwitz. 

"Was he taken to Dachau? It's the closest one to Munich."

"What do you mean?"

"The concentration camp?" 

"Oh, you've got the wrong idea, he's not a Jew."

"Oh?" 

"He's against Nazis and everything they choose to be, but he's actually a Bavarian born in Munich. The thing is he's smart. Terribly intelligent for his own good.  When Nazism started rising, he decided to fight them from the inside, trying to ease the pain from the prisoners, as concentration camps were starting. But he made a mistake: He fell in love with a Polish girl born to a Jewish father. We married in hiding, but they eventually found out, they always do."

"So they sent you away, back to Poland." Thomas finishes. "What happened to him?" 

Thomas is moved by her story, it makes him hope they reunite someday.

"They told me he had died, but I doubt it, it's one of those stories they make up just so I don't go looking for him. He may still be working at Dachau. He probably thinks I'm dead too. " 

Working at Dachau? Thomas has a thought. 

"What's his name?" 

She gives him a questioned look. Her tone is skeptical.

"Philipp." 

He cringes on the name, it couldn't possibly be..

"Philipp Lahm?" 

Claudia doesn't follow. "Yes..."

"I know a Philipp Lahm, he was my boss! At Dachau! For a year! He's sort of short, and thick eyebrows, dirty blond hair..." 

Her eyes light up in a beautiful way. It's as if hope ran through them.

"He told me one he lost his wife, maybe it's you! We have to get you to him."

He finds her in tears. He has to do this for her, Philipp helped him with Miro, he has to do the same. 

"Thank you, what's your name?" 

"It's Thomas." He smiles, "Wait here, I'll go find someone who can help." 

 

"Where's Lukas?" Thomas asks Miro, since he hasn't found anyone else. 

"He went to look for Bastian, who's taken longer than planned." He doesn't look up, as he's busy sharpening a knife. 

"We're going to München." 

"What?" 

"When I was working at Dachau, I had this boss, his name was Philipp. He was the reason why I could send my letters to you and could receive yours without any problems, and without him, I would have never found you at Auschwitz, so I owe him everything."

Miro tries to hide the blush when he hears Thomas' last words.

"So now, I was talking to a woman, turns out she's his wife. He told me she died, but she's alive! She's been here all along! I need to get her to him."

"You don't even know if he's still at Dachau."

"I can bet my ass he is, if he stayed even when he was moved to Auschwitz, he can resist anything." 

Miro takes a glance in the direction Thomas came from, to find the woman sitting with her son, hugging him tight. 

"Thomas, don't you get tired of risking your life for others?"

"I think breaking a prisoner out of Auschwitz is far worse." He winks, which leaves Miro in a helpful smile.

"I'll never understand what force drove you to do that."

Thomas takes a step closer to him, enough to make Miro stop working the weapon. 

"It was love, silly. You know I'd gladly do it all over again."

They're interrupted by Lukas who has come back, out of breath. There's a look of panic in his eyes. Something's wrong.

 

"It's Bastian, he's been captured."

"Captured? What do you mean?" Thomas has to repeat.

"What else can captured mean? It means they're unto us, they have Bastian and they're coming for the rest of us."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm so sorry for the lack of updates, school has been legit hell these past two weeks, but it's getting better now :)


	14. Vierzehn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas loses Bastian and Robert tries to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy (late) Remembrance Day!

When consciousness regains him, it's enough to feel how weak his body is. It feels as if his body is bruisen. Bastian fights to open his eyes to find himself surrounded in darkness. There's only a window in a high spot. The moonlight manages to pass through and it's the only source of light he can find. 

He's alone, and now that his eyes have adjusted to the lack of light, he can tell he's not in a room. He's in a train wagon. Panic floods, is he being taken to a concentration camp? He knows he wont be as half as lucky Miro was, and he wont get special treatment. 

Even less after helping a prisoner break out of Auschwitz.

However, it's not moving. He's conscious enough to tell the train is not in movement. He tries to check on himself, only to realise his hands are tied behind him, like a prisoner. 

"Damn you Franz." He mentally curses. 

After many attempts to get up, he finally manages gets on his feet. His body feels beaten up, and memories of the Nazi officers come back. He focuses on the window. He has to find a way out. He's thrown back by the sudden movement. The train has started moving. Fear strikes him. 

What's going to happen to him? 

 

There's gunshots everywhere, and Thomas feels like he's back at Treblinka. He can barely react and relies on his instinct. He's grabbing some kids and running away from the guards. It's no surprise they'd assault the train station, it's pretty obvious what the resistance's intentions were. 

He stumbles on bodies, bodies of men shot coldly but the nazis. It includes soldiers as well as civilians. With Robert gone with Woj, it's chaos. There's no leader to follow. He needs to find Marco and Miro.

There's men everywhere and children and women trying to run. Thomas manages to find Julian, all alone, crying, somehow. Where's Claudia? He leaves the two girls he was carrying for a moment as he rushes to grab him. 

"Julian!"

The boy turns to Thomas, and seems to recognize him, as he stops crying the moment Thomas grabs him in his arms. "Where's your mom?" He whispers.

He glances around and slips through the boxes behind. He turns and spots Miro waving at him. He doesn't even hesitate, he jumps across the guards and manages to slip unnoticed.

"Müller! I know you're here! Traitor!"  

That voice... He turns back to find Franz Bauer, out of all people, leading the Nazis. He stops at his sight, he hasn't changed a bit since they were kids. He hides behind a wall, with Julian in his arms. They're grabbing all the children back to the Ghetto. 

"Franz?" He whispers,

"Stop playing the little hero, we're already sending Schweinsteiger back to Germany to have him punished for his crimes, soon we'll get you too and we'll have all of you."

It seems surreal, to have an old childhood classmate do all of these things. He feels is an empty hole in his stomach. Basti... He feels a hand on his shoulder. He turns to Miro. 

"Come on, let's go." 

He follows him to Lukas who has a small group of people he managed to save, between them, Thomas spots Claudia. She looks like she's been crying, and immediately goes to her with Julian. 

"Oh my god," She whimpers as soon as she sees her son on Thomas. He lets her carry him and she tucks his head tight. He can only imagine the sorrow she felt believing she had lost him. 

Lukas is agitated. Thomas goes to him. "They're sending Basti to Germany."

He curses in a language he can only guess is Polish, and gets up to grab his weapons. 

"I'm coming with you." Thomas adds. 

"Alright." He nods. 

Thomas turns to Miro, who is taking care of a what seems a 10 year old boy. His hair is messy and he's crying. 

"Shhh, I promise everything will be alright." 

His heart feels warm looking at Miro comfort someone like that. As soon as he stops, Miro turns to Thomas and gives him a weak smile.

"I have to help him, he's my best friend. He's never let me down." 

"You don't have to justify yourself." Miro shakes his head. "But you know that I'll follow you anywhere." 

"But Miro, it's danger-"

"He risked his life for mine, I owe him the same." 

He can't deny the sense of relief when Miro refuses to stay behind. He's not ready to be separated from him. 

"Come on Thomas, let's go." Lukas' voice is cold. "Marco will stay behind and take care of the group." 

 

Robert hurries past the guards. He waits for Woj to stop behind him. 

"Are you sure it's here?"

"We need to try to get inside. We can try the vent system, they'll never look in there."

"It's the British Embassy, how do you know it's not controlled by those German dogs?"

"It is, but they must have contact with someone in Britain, they have to." 

Woj shrugs and looks up at the sky.

"You're not scared, are you?" Robert teases. 

"You're crazy." 

"I didn't get my nickname for nothing." He smirks. He pulls out a piece of a half burnt map and starts pointing where they'll be entering. 

 

"Look, they're making everyone board the train." Miro notices, as they're sneaking close enough to see but not enough to be detected.

It's not even been 10 minutes by the time Lukas snaps.

"We need to stop them."

"How do you plan on doing that? They'll find us and take us with him." Miro reasons.

They watch how the poor children they had saved earlier are being pushed into the wagons. Thomas swallows as the inevitable guilt falls upon him.

"I bet they'll make him board the train" He starts.

Lukas agrees. "We need to break him out just when that's about to happen and make an for it."

"They'll catch us." Miro points out again, and the two can't find an argument to deny it. 

"What would you have me do?" Lukas lets out, exasperation in his tone. 

"We should wait until they leave, and try to smuggle him out of the train."

They wait until nightfall and Thomas has given up to lay on Miro's legs. He can't shut his eyes, he's too nervous. They've been waiting for Bastian to be brought to the train, that is now deserted. They can only hear the prisoners inside of it. 

"What if they're torturing him?" He asks, hoping any of them will reply with something like 'He's going to be okay' or 'Don't overreact Thomas.'

But they don't. Lukas and Miro keep quiet as they both wait for Bastian.

 

"Good riddance." The trio hear a voice, and it doesn't take long for Thomas and Lukas to recognize it. 

"Where did you put him?" 

"In the last wagon, god knows what he'd try if he wasn't alone. He could somehow kill them and use their bodies to escape. He's a smart one, that Bastian. Come on, they'll be there in a couple of days. Let's go get something to eat." 

"It's Franz." Thomas whispers, and Lukas glares at the man. 

They listen to the footsteps of them leaving the path clear. It's all quiet until they hear the familiar train sounds. 

"They're leaving!" Lukas snaps, the engines are starting, and he feels panic rush through him. "We missed him?" 

"He said last wagon!" Thomas cries and Lukas is already on his feet running towards the train in a blink. 

Thomas follows Lukas in a jump, and Miro does the same to follow the train. It's getting away from them, and Lukas feels a boost of energy come from him. He barely manages to catch up to the end of the wagon and throws a hand on it. At first, he slips and stumbles, but he's not giving up, not when Basti's life is on the line. He gives himself another push and manages to place both hands on the moving object.

He takes a moment to catch his breath once he's boarded it, then turns around to search for Thomas and Miroslav, but they're not there, his eyes go back to the trails, Thomas is desperately trying to catch the train, but it's speeding up eveytime faster. 

"Come on!" He yells, but Thomas is slowing down, and Lukas can't even see Miro in the dark at this point.

"BASTIAN!" He shouts in desperation, which leaves Lukas heartbroken. A part of him knows Thomas wont be able to catch up with the train. He has one last hope. "I'll save Basti! I promise! Go to Munich! I'll meet you at your place!" 

Thomas barely hears the words out of all the crackle created by the train and shakes his head. He's not giving up on Bastian. He has to catch it. But his legs differ from his intentions and eventually give up, ending with him stumbling and falling to the ground. He's fallen on the train rails in the middle of the dark. 

"Argh!" Thomas curses as he fights for his breath. He doesn't feel his legs but that's the least of his concerns right now. Bastian. Flashbacks of them laying together in bed talking about Miro and Lukas travel his mind. This isn't happening. He hasn't just lost his best friend. Ever since he can remember, Bastian has been around. Thomas has let him down. This can't be happening. He tries to get up again to run again, only to fail. His body betrays him.

"Arrrgh!" He takes it out on the trails, who are freezing. His fists hit it hard, as the first tears on his cheeks drop. 

"Thomas!" 

It's Miro's voice from behind. He turns.

"Move." He pushes Thomas' body without warning to the side of the rails. They roll together in the cold snow. 

"What the..." Thomas starts once they've stopped. The freezing temperature sends a shiver down his spine.

Miro places a hand over Thomas' mouth in order to keep him from saying another word. "For once in your life..." 

Thomas is taken aback by his response, until he understands they're in danger. He watches how some flashlights hover close to them, continuously for a while. One of them hit Miro right in his eyes and Thomas catches the lightest ice blue before he blinks.

His heart is beating at a speed he didn't think possible, and he starts breathing faster. He's terrified, probably shaking. But Miro is calm, he glances down to Thomas to check on him every once in while.

"Keep your eyes on mine." He whispers, as he can feel Thomas shiver. 

He complies, and he loses himself in the immensity of his blue eyes. They're placed on his own and Thomas isn't sure why the panic is slowly leaving him. His heartbeat relaxes. His hand has a smoothing effect on him and he shuts his eyes to appreciate his touch better. 

Miro finally pulls away from him. "I think they're gone, they heard our steps and followed us."

Thomas sits up and opens his mouth to say something, anything, but he's lost at words. He blankly stares at Miro. 

"Basti..." He whimpers, voice shaking. Miro automatically pulls an arm around him protectively. "Lukas made it. He knows what he's doing. They'll both be fine." 

Thomas sniffs through his tears and nods. He can't do anything, he can only hope they're both lucky. He thinks back on what Lukas last told him.

"He told me where to find him."

"Where?" 

"At my house, it's the only point of reference we all know." 

"Do you mean...?"

Thomas remembers Claudia, Julian who deserve a happy ending, in spite of this stupid war. He wonders how Holger and Philipp are doing, hopefully still at their jobs.

"It means we're going to Munich." 

 

Woj decides it's best to stay behind to prevent unwanted visitors. They figured the best entrance was the back of the building, by the ventilation system, as Robert had suggested. 

Robert is glad he's thin, or else he'd be having a hard time sneaking through the vent. He overhears some English, but he doesn't get most of it. As fluid as he is in German, he's always had a lack of interest to study English. 

He follows the path, his objective is the study room, located a few of meters ahead. He looks down through the grill to make sure the room is empty. It's not. There a woman sitting on the desk. She's checking some papers.

"Is someone there?" She asks. Robert holds his breath. But when the door opens an another voice starts, he relaxes.

"You're late as usual." 

"I've just been sorting out the paperwork, John."

"I just want you to be careful..."

"I always am." She's distracted by the man, and follows him out of the room. This is Robert's chance. It's now or never. He gently uses his tool to open the grill and falls on the table. He inspects his surroundings, first cameras, his time is limited, he knows how Germans work and they'll be on his tail in no time. But he doesn't find any. Good. Time to search the desk.

He knows everything that has to do with foreign relations is done from this very office, so it mustn't be far. He searches the first drawer, which is luckily unlocked. English, english, english everywhere. 

He finds a notebook with a telephone symbol on it, he instantly grabs it and catches the door opening slowsly. He freezes.

"Stop distracting me from work, John! You're such a tease!"

Robert swallows. He quietly crouches behind the desk and shakes his head. He has to figure out a way of there. Maybe there's another vent. He glances around and finds one next to the door. 

"At what time do you get out?" The man asks, and Robert tries to crouch slowly towards the vent next to the door.

"11 PM"

"That's like an hour! Come on, let's get something to eat."

Robert manages to hear how their lips smack and he smirks. 

"John! I thought you said..."

"Please, let's go."

"I'll get my stuff."

She opens the door and rushes to the desk. She gathers her stuff up. She's stopped by the door shutting in front of her. 

"Oh?"

The man walks towards her.

"I'll help you pack, let's go." 

Robert breaths through the vent as he hears the couple leave. Looks like he's made it. He needs to go back to Woj.

Having the notebook with him, he finally feels the air from the end of the ventilation system. He opens it and without a thought jumps out of it.

Except Woj isn't there, and it's too late to realise he's not at the same vent system he was when he first entered it. He's falling from the rack from what seems to be at least a meter and a half fall. 

"Robert!"

The last thing Robert catches is Woj's shadow on him and the pain of an incredible headache. Then it's all black. 

 

 

 


	15. Fünfzehn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basti is gone and our heroes must find him, before it's too late.

"Come on, come on, come on..."

Robert's eyes fight at the voice. It's Woj's tone, except he's never heard him like that. It's filled with concern. 

"Robert?"

"Woj?" His voice is deep and sore, as he progressively comes back, he realises it's daylight. 

"Oh my god."

He feels a body around his hold him tight. What happened?

"What happened?" He repeats. 

"You almost died, that's what happened." He's shouting, but Robert can spot the relief in his voice. He smiles weakly. Woj shakes his head, they've both always known Robert to be reckless, but this has crossed a new line. 

"You hit your head hard, try not to move it. I was terrified you had a concussion. It's a miracle you're still alive after that fall."

Robert opens an eye and gives him a questioned look.

"You went through the wrong vent, and as you fell, you hit your head on a metal thing."

"Oh.."

Robert nods. His head is indeed feeling funny. He shifts a hand on it, to find a terrible amount of pain.

"Ugh.." He lets out.

"You need to rest."

"I'm okat Woj.."

"Wait here, I'll come back." Woj leans over and drops a kiss on Robert's cheek, as the forehead is too sensible right now.

It's hard to leave Robert this unprotected, but he has no choice. 

If he weren't in love with Robert, it'd be easier. He wouldn't have to worry all the time. If he weren't in love with that smile, those eyes of his, that stupid reckless attitude...

But he is, and Woj can't stand the fact he can't do anything about it. 

"I don't want to lose you." 

"You wont" A half sleepy Robert replies. 

* * *

"Munich? Are you crazy? That's where it all started."

They're hiding in a building a few blocks away from the ghetto. There's many Jewish families hiding here with them, and as far as the Nazis are concerned, it's an abandoned building that burned down 10 years ago.

"I know, but Lukas told me.."

"You're crazy to believe Podolski will be successful enough to save Schweinsteiger in the first place, then have the luck to travel to the Nazi center. You're crazy. You're not going there."

Marco had refused the minute Thomas had mentioned his home town.

"Marco please..." 

"It's out of the question, we're not going to Germany." 

Miroslav watches how Thomas practically begs Marco. He has to admit that if they were to go to Germany, they'd be able to pass by Chiemsee which would give him the chance to check on his grandfather, if he's still alive. No matter how risky it sounds. 

"Thomas has family there, they can help.."

"No one can help us against Nazis." Marco scolds. 

Thomas looks away, half ashamed. He had never mentioned he and Bastian were so close to Nazi rules before. What would Marco think if he knew about the Hitler youth. Those days seem to distant from him now. 

"Nazi born are you?" 

It's too late, Marco has already read his face. He continues.

"Like that friend of yours who was looking for you at the station."

Thomas shakes his head. He could call Franz anything but his friend. 

"He _was_ looking for you. You're probably the reason why Bastian was caught, he knew you both."

"We went to school together, Bastian used to call their group out to stop bullying Lukas, because he was a Jew." 

Marco sighs. 

"Haven't you considered you're their next target? Their most searched criminal? After Schweini, of course. You were one of them, partially, and you betrayed their trust. You're worse than a Jew to them right now." Marco points out. "Robert told me you and Schweinsteiger helped Klose out of the concentration camp. Brave deed indeed, but now they wont rest until they find you." 

"The last place they'll think I'll go is Munich. I'm going there whether you like it or not." 

It's an argument Marco can't fight. Thomas has a fire in his eyes and Miroslav joins in before things get too heated up. 

"We wont be there long, we're just going to see if Bastian and Lukas are there." 

Marco's sight doesn't leave Thomas. "I don't want to lose both of you. Robert and Wojciech are gone, so are Bastian and Lukas now, and now..." 

"Come with us." Miro cuts in.

Marco shakes his head. "Robert trusted me." 

Thomas turns around and starts walking outside. Miro sighs and follows him. Before they reach the door, Marco's last attempt to convince Thomas echoes.

"You're gonna get Miroslav killed."

 

* * *

 

Bastian feels the heat from the sun pass through the window. He's starving, the last time he must have eaten was at least a couple of days ago. He has to keep fighting. The image of Franz having his way is not what Bastian would want to see last. 

He's still in the train wagon, but it has stopped moving. They're probably at their destination. Nothing has changed for the past hours except for the water he's been given, which was wasted as if Bastian could have grabbed the glass with his hands tied behind his back.

Were they thinking of letting him starve? 

Suddenly, the entrance opens and Bastian's eyes are wide. It's an SS officer he has never seen before. Maybe it's best if he's just executed now. He's terrified of concentration camps, of living under the terrible conditions so many before him suffered. Bastian can see they're in the woods. 

He hasn't done enough.

He should have helped more of them.

He deserves to die. 

Bastian doesn't even fight back when the SS pulls him down and drags him. He almost misses when the guard pulling him is shot right in the head. Blood splashes on Bastian's face who immediately takes a step back. He turns around to find that the other two SS guards are as confused as he is. 

The body falls to the ground and Bastian can only feel the blood flow on his cheeks. 

Gunshots again and one of the other guards also finds the same ending. The third one doesn't even care about Bastian anymore, he turns around and runs off to the woods only to stumble and fall as another bullet takes his life. 

Bastian doesn't even dare to move.

"Basti... Pst, this way..." 

From the woods, he slowly turns to a bush, and after a minute of focusing, he notices the gun coming out of the leaves. 

"Hurry up!" 

But he knows that voice terribly well. He obeys and finds Lukas hidden in mud behind the bush. He can't believe it. 

"..How?" He mutters. His voice is so tired, so exhausted. 

Lukas focuses on Bastian, however. "Are you okay?" He's cleaning off the blood the SS officer spilled on Bastian. 

"How?" Bastian weakly repeats, and Lukas simply shakes his head.

"We'll have time to catch up, and I'll explain later. We need to get you food and drink." He grabs his boyfriend's face and pulls him closer for a kiss. He can't even begin to tell him how worried he was. Bastian closes his eyes and lets his weight fall on Lukas. He's safe now.

 

* * *

 

Thomas watches from the corner of his eye the endless dream of people moving through the streets, crowding one another more and more as they converged. Push carts were piled high with household goods. The Nazis delighted in overturning the carts and watching the poor defenceless Polish jews scrambling to the ground. 

A child steps in front of him and stares at him for a large moment, his gaze lost. 

"Hej, chłopcze." Thomas turns to his side to find Miro speaking in Polish to the young child. His gaze is sad and the boy has tears in his eyes. The poor soul mustn't had anything to eat in days. 

Miro hands him a piece of bread. At first, he hesitates, but when Miro adds something in Polish, the boy takes a step forward. He takes the bread into his little hands and gives him a weak smile, before running off. 

Marco's voice echoes in Thomas' head.  _You'll get Miroslav killed._ It's true Miro insisted to come, but Thomas guesses he'd rather stay safe here with Marco.  _  
_

"We're not safe here either." Miro tells him, as if he had been reading his thoughts. "Hitler is everywhere, not just here. We need to get Bastian back."

Thomas nods. Claudia arrives behind him with Julian in his arms. They four of them are ready to go. 

 

Avoiding patrols is hard, but thanks to Lukas, Thomas has developed a nearly perfect instinct. Having Claudia along is nice as she's able to cook for the three of them and lighten up the mood. After a couple of weeks of travelling, tonight they're crossing the border to Germany. It's an important task and the three are ready to impersonate a happy family returning from vacation. Thomas is thankful for the fake documents provided by Marco (even if he didn't exactly give them away willingly). Claudia is to be married to Miroslav, with their two sons Thomas and Julian. 

Thomas wasn't exactly fond of the idea, but he couldn't protest, as he didn't know Claudia would take the fact he and Miroslav had a thing going on. Late at night, when Claudia and Julian were both sleeping, Miro would sneak up next to Thomas and leave a kiss on his forehead, only to be surprised by another kiss on his own lips.

However, Miro had noticed Thomas a bit different. He was coughing far more often than to his liking. 

"I'm fine." Thomas shrugged off when Claudia had asked about it, and it didn't help that they had other priorities at hand.

The group had found a car at 5 am and stolen it before nobody could notice along with their fake documents. 

"Where are you headed to?" 

Luckily for them, it was a youngster who clearly wasn't aware how this system worked. Miroslav gave him an icy look which he surprisingly pulled off really well. 

"Returning from the holidays with the family?" He added, with a smile, to which Miro coldly replied. "None of your business."

As they drove into what Miro hadn't been in forever, Germany, Thomas sighs. "You can really be scary Miro.."

"They deserve nothing else." He had replied, and none of them had said another word for a pretty long time. 

 

Dumping the car was a hard decision to make, but a necessary one. It was too dangerous to keep, as they would probably report it stolen and figure out which border they had crossed. They were in near Nuremberg, and Thomas had to decide the best path to avoid detection. They were so close to Munich, he had to ignore the shivers his body felt from time to time. 

Summer drew nearer and the nights got warmer, as well as the days. 

Still, he likes to stay up late with his flash-light and consider any possible scenario. 

"You should go to bed." Miro's voice is as soft as a whisper. Thomas looks up and nods. "I was just checking..."

Miro stops him by pressing his lips against his. Thomas smiles. His hands forget the maps and the pencil he was holding and they're on Miro completely now. However at one point, Thomas has to break it so he can cough properly.

"Are you catching a cold?" Miro raises his hand to Thomas' forehead.

He stutters. "I-I'm fine." 

Seeing that Miro isn't buying it, he tries harder. "I just have headaches now and then."

"How long since they started? You feel a bit warm to me."

"Couple of days, a week maybe?" 

"Go to bed, you're pushing yourself too hard." Miro sighs as he leans over and drops a kiss on his cheek. He takes the maps, pencils and flash-lights from his hands and puts them away, before dragging a cover and putting it over him. Thomas changes the subject as he lets Miro take care of him. 

"Do you think we could go to Chiemsee? After going to Munich." 

Miro smiles weakly. "To the meadow?" 

"Yeah..." Thomas smiles through his shivers and Miro tucks his head. "Don't you wanna sleep here tonight?" He asks, his eyes already closing drifting off to sleep. 

"Sleep well, kochanie." 

 

"Miro, Miro, Miro." 

He opens his eyes slowly to the voice of a child upon him. Julian is pulling his arm in alarm. 

"What's wrong?" He immediately reacts.

"Thom sick, Mummy with Thomas, Mummy told me to find you."

Miro gasps, he gets on his feet and rushes to the tent.

Claudia turns back. "He has a terrible fever." She announces. "He was screaming in his sleep." 

"He was fine a while ago." He tries to justify, except he wasn't. The coughing and the headaches should have given away the fact that he wasn't okay. The feeling of guilt tries to take a hold of him, but he knows there's no time for that.

Thomas tries to whimper. "I'm - I'm fine."

"We need to get help." Claudia adds.

"We we we can-can't." Thomas' weak voice protests. 

Claudia turns to Julian who has some ice with him. "Good boy." She congratulates him. "Now go wait in bed for Mummy." 

She puts the ice on Thomas' head and leaves it there. 

"He shouldn't have pushed himself so much. He has a cold because of it now." Miro comments, after a while of both of them nursing Thomas. Miro has found his way to let Thomas' head rest on his legs, while he holds the ice on his forehead. 

"It's not a cold." Claudia looks down. She leans towards Thomas and opens the first two buttons of his shirt, just to reveal his chest. It's not difficult to see, and Miro spots in horror the rash on his small chest. 

"Typhus." He concludes. His heart is beating faster and faster, but he doesn't show it. He has to keep himself together for Thomas.

"We need to take him to a doctor."

Miro isn't listening anymore. It's just the feeling of his heart dropping as he has Thomas' head on his legs. Claudia's voice echoes in the room, until he feels her hand on his shoulder.

"Philipp knows people. We're not far from Munich, we need to get him there." 

He nods once. 

"Someone needs to take care of him, if you want I-"

"It's fine." He smiles weakly. 

She nods back as she stands up to return to her son. Before leaving, however, she turns back. Miro is caressing Thomas' hair gently. There's something about this image that throws her off. Miro's gaze is filled with concern, but it's not the normal kind. It hits her, and she understands. She simply hopes they can get to Philipp before it's too late. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hej, chłopcze = Hey, boy.   
> kochanie = sweetie  
> i tried at polish (i shamelessly used google so i hope that's right, polish is such a hard language hahaha)
> 
> anyway thank you all for reading, life has been crazy with finals but i'm finally done for winter break :) <3


	16. Sechzehn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miroslav and Claudia have to find help before it's too late for Thomas.

"How did you find me?" 

Bastian asks, resting between some provision bags that smell like food. Lukas had heard that the truck would be transporting these for the officers in Dachau. He was well aware where that was located: near Munich, and he had told Thomas to meet him there. Sneaking behind the bags had been easy, and now they found themselves travelling on their own there. 

"Thomas, Miro and I tracked you down, but I was faster than they were, so only I caught the train. After, I managed to kill the driver, raising suspicion amongst the guards. They decided to execute you instead. So I took one of their guns and shot them before they could do it. I learnt a lot with the Polish resistance, Basti. I never thought I'd have to do it, but I'd do anything for you."

Lukas can hear Bastian sigh. He moves one bag so he can have a clear look on him. He looks devastated. 

"Hey, it's going to be okay." He tries you reassure. 

"It's my fault." 

"What?" 

He hadn't noticed the tears on Bastian's cheeks. Lukas is shocked. 

"Everyone that has died, I didn't do enough, I didnt... I could have saved more.. I .. I didn't do enoug.." 

"Bastian." He hadn't realised Lukas had moved closer to him. He sobs. "We can still safe as much as we can. We will make a difference. You saved a bloody prisoner out of one of the deathliest camps out there!"

"But my father..." 

"He's not you. Don't you remember you stood up for a Jew when you were 10?"

Bastian looks up. He hesitates. "I think I was older." 

"Well, point is, you're different, you made a difference." He smiles, and Bastian can't deny it's the most beautiful smile he's ever gotten to see. He can't help it, he moves his hands to Lukas' cheeks and presses his lips to his own. Lukas deepens the kiss and they get lost in each other, even if it's only for a while. 

* * *

 

"Are we getting there yet?" Miro dares to ask. He has had Thomas on his back for a big part of the journey. His situation hasn't improved, in fact, Miro dares to think he's losing conciousness. If it weren't for the fact Thomas still likes to talk, in spite being sick, he knows he would have passed out. But Thomas is strong, he whimpers about horses, Chiemsee, football and Miro always finds a good reply. 

"I know this place." Her eyes light up. Claudia jumps through the woods and continues. 

"Hold on, kochanie." He tells Thomas, who doesn't reply. Miro notices he's fallen asleep against his shoulder. 

 

**_Dachau Concentration Camp_ **

 

"Do you see the sign?" Claudia points, and Miro sighs. Memories of Auschwitz crowd his mind, he lets Thomas down with care. "We're taking a break." He announces, and Thomas nods. 

His head turns to Claudia. "How will we get in?" 

"You said you used to send letters to Thomas here?" 

"From Warsaw, yeah.."

She smirks. "Maybe we can get him to come to us."

 

Philipp turns his pen around in circles. The order is to wipe an entire population. There's no way around the extermination of Jews. It's murder. As much as he tries to avoid it, he can't pretend to kill. The exits with these monsters are getting shorter and shorter. 

"Sir." 

He looks up from his desk to find Holger at the door.

"Come in." He sighs, thankful to be distracted from his thoughts. 

After two years of working together, he had found in the young lad a friend. The fact he's also against these Barbarian methods of treating people brought them together. Holger walks in and closes the door behind him. It doesn't take long for him to drop the letter on the table.

Philipp raises an eyebrow. He sits up and takes it in his hands.

"It's for Thomas."

He's speechless. That's impossible. Thomas' friend decided to finally write back? But they heard the news when two of Dachau's transfers to Auschwitz had escaped the camp. It had been a scandal. 

"Could it be sent from Poland?" He asks. Holger shakes his head.

"That's not possible. Germany doesn't even allow letters from Poland nowadays."

"Miroslav Klose." He reads from the letter. "Unless..." 

Holger watches how Philipp opens it immediately and takes out a note. He reads it in silence. 

 

"Miro?"

Night has fallen and Miroslav turns to Thomas who's laying against a tree shivering. It kills him to see him like this, but he has to stay strong. All they can do is wait for Philipp to get the letter, if he even gets it. So many ifs, Miro doesn't like it one bit. 

"Miro?" Thomas repeats, and this time Miro moves closer to him.

"I'm here." He assures him, by letting his hands touch his arms, which clearly makes him relax. 

"Am I dying?" He asks blankly and Miro is taken by surprise. He always figured he'd be the first to die between the two. He's a Pole, Thomas is German. His odds were always higher. After he risked his life for Miro's, the only concern Miro had had was to keep Thomas safe from Nazi officers. If he managed to keep him from their claws, he'd be safe. He had forgotten the high toll of death caused by sickness. 

"Mi-Miro.." Thomas tries again when no reply comes. He can tell the fright in his voice. 

"No, you're not dying, not on my watch." Miro had made a promise once. He had promised Thomas' mother if something happened, he would take care of his son. Now it was more a personal matter. He wasn't going to lose Thomas, even if it was the last thing he had to do. 

"Don't...lea.. leave me." Thomas whimpers, and Miroslav cups his hand on his cheek, before dropping a soft kiss on his lips, who are trembling. He wraps his arms around him so Thomas can rest his head against his chest. 

"I'll always be here."

The next morning, he wakes up to a pleasant sight. Thomas has his head buried in Miro's neck, and seems to be finally getting some sleep. With the fever, he has struggled to rest the past week. Miro's amazed by the fact that simply staring at him makes him feel so relaxed. His fingers travel to Thomas' messy hair and play with it for a moment. He has to heal. 

"Miro."

He's interrupted by Claudia, who has a look of alarm in her eyes. He understands and has to leave Thomas alone along with all the covers on him. 

"What is it?" 

"Come with me." 

 

They're close to the end of the woods, and he's able to catch another glance of the entrance of the concentration camp 'Arbeit Macht Frei'. It gives him unpleasant memories of a time where he saw that sign everyday. 

"Look." She points at the other side of the woods. Miro focuses on what seems a tall blond man. He's wearing a SS uniform with a gun between his hands. Bad news. Extremely bad news.  

"He's been entering the forest for three days now, looking for something, or ... someone. I think he's looking for us. Maybe the letter didn't get to Philipp and they think Thomas is in the forest." 

Miro sighs, she's probably right. He can't let him get to Thomas, they were prepared for this situation, the moment they left that letter in the post office. Even with typhus, a bullet is still enough to kill a man. And he's not going to let Thomas get hurt under any circumstance. "Let's set up a trap." He agrees. 

 

The man wanders through the forest. He's been looking through different paths and still nothing has come up. 

"Just a little bit further" He repeats out loud, but misses entirely the rope on the ground, which immediately pulls up when he's close enough. He trips and lets go of his gun. Would he had been quicker, he could have grabbed it, but before he can move a muscle, a voice behind him warns him otherwise. 

"Identify yourself." He may not have been out in the war, but he knows when a gun is being pointed at him. He turns around to face the man with the weapon alongside with a woman. He's wearing resistance uniform and she has travel clothing on.

"My name is Holger Badstuber. I mean no harm, I'm in the woods looking for a friend." 

The man hesitates, he hands the gun to the woman who doesn't lower it. He gets on his knees which allows Holger to sit up, and get a better look of him. The first thing he notices are the eyes. They're an unusual set of ice blue. 

Where has he seen those eyes? They seem so familiar. Holger has always been particularly good at reading people, and he doesn't feel like this man wants to kill him. It's the next set of words that give him away.

"I'm looking for a friend as well. Do you know Philipp Lahm?" 

It hits him, back when Thomas was still at the camp, there was one time he invited him inside his room. He was going to give Holger a coat because someone had stolen his own. While Thomas looked for it, Holger sat on his bed and looked to the night-stand. A picture of man, he would have dismissed it, if it weren't for the unusual set of eyes. The black and white effect made them look as white as snow. Thomas had blushed saying that there was more to his Miro than just a pretty set of eyes.

"Miroslav?" He hesitates, as you can never be too sure.

His eyes widen, it was probably the last possible reply he was expecting. He turns to the woman who's as shocked.

"How do you k...?"

"You're Thomas' Miroslav!" Holger exclaims. 

Miroslav pulls him off the ground, and tells the woman to lower the gun. "You got our letter?" He asks, and Holger nods. 

"I used to work with Thomas. He was friends with Bastian, they came in together because of their fathers. We were there when the war began. He was never for the killing or mistreatment of the Jews, that's how we bonded. I was against it as well. He started receiving letters, and he got help from the boss, Philipp. He would smuggle the letters from Poland. Letters from you..." 

Miroslav nods, as Claudia reacts to the mention of Philipp.

"Until you stopped, and he got worried. We found your name on a list from Auschwitz. He willingly left safety when he didn't even know if you were there. And he did save you, but we never knew if you were caught or not. When the news came that he was a traitor, along with Bastian, we weren't allowed to ask about him."

Claudia keeps quiet. She had no idea Miroslav had been in a concentration camp.

"Talking about Thomas, where is he?"

They're arriving to the camp, and he catches a silhouette curved up against the wall. He rushes, with Miro following him.

"Thomas?" 

The young man slowly opens his eyes, and smiles weakly. "Holgi?" He manages, before letting his head fall again against his knees.

"What's happened to him?" Holger asks, his heart beating.

Miroslav gets on his knees next to him. "Typhus, we think. We need help." The tone is dark, and Holger realises they may not have much time. 

"I have some medical preparation, when I was younger, I wanted to be a doctor. I may be able to help, but we need to take him some place warmer." 

 

He has lived in Warsaw, he has lived near a lake during the summers, he has even lived in a concentration camp sharing a bed with three other inmates, but never would have Miroslav guessed he'd be living under the house of a rich family. 

Holger's uncle, had somehow managed to keep the Nazis away, and he had a cozy basement away from the cold and hard life of sleeping in the woods. It was split in three rooms, one that had a table and a small kitchen, the other had a bathroom and the third was a bedroom. They were able to shower, eat proper meals and have a radio. 

Miroslav hears the news about Hitler invading the Soviet Union, along with Japan fighting against Americans the Pacific war. This truly had become a world wide war, he thinks. His main concern however, is Thomas' health. He spent all his days in bed, lost in fever and coughing.

Three days after they've been hiding there, they receive a visit. Miro watches a small man walk in, and his eyes light up when he sees Claudia and Julian. He holds them tight and kisses them all over. He can only assume it's the famous Philipp. It's good to see families reunited. 

"Papa?" Julian asks, and Philipp can't fight the tears. 

Miro feels a pat on his arm, and turns back to Thomas who's laying down. He manages to whisper something, and Miro is forced to lower his body to his on the bed. 

"Is Fips with.. Cla..?" 

"Yeah, they're together again thanks to you." He lets him know, as he caresses his cheek with his right hand. "You bring people back together." 

Thomas nods and smiles, but it breaks his heart, because it's not the usual bright and silly smile, it's only a shadow of it, consequence of typhus across his body. 

 

"There's vaccines, but we can't be sure they'll work on him, they might make it worse" Philipp tells Holger and Miro, outside of the room where Claudia is nursing Thomas.

"There has to be something to do." Miro whines. 

Holger nods, in agreement, it's hard to watch a friend suffer when they can't do a thing about it. "But a vaccine isn't going to help him, I'm afraid there isn't much we can do. It's up to his body, really." He sighs. 

Miroslav shakes his head. 

"It's finally nice to meet you, by the way. Thank you, for Claudia and Julian." Philipp smiles. 

"It was Thomas who found her." Miro denies. "It's all thanks to him." 

"He's one hell of a person, that one." And they all agree. 

Philipp excuses himself back upstairs to get back to his usual duties, while Holger offers Miro some soup on the table.

"You should get some food in your system. We don't want you to get sick as well."

"It doesn't matter..." All he wants it Thomas to be healthy. Is that so much to ask? He would have rather stayed in hell at Auschwitz than watch Thomas perish. Anything would be better than watching such a thing. 

"Can I tell you something?" 

"Sure." Miro looks up from the soup to Holger, who's avoiding his look. 

"There's something you should know, before... well... if anything bad happens. He's in love with you, you know?"

The words love hits Miro like a truck. Sure, he was fully aware of Thomas' affections, but he never though anyone except Bastian and maybe Lukas knew. "What?" He replies. 

"Thomas, he's ... he's in love with you. You could see it in his eyes everyday when he got a letter, the concern when we thought you had been captured."

Miro smiles, it's nice to hear it from a third person's view.

"It's love, I don't know if he had the chance to tell you, but now it might be too late, and... "

"Holger." Miro interrupts him. The blond stops and raises both of his eyebrows. "I know..." 

A smile finds it's way to Holger's face, showing relief. The pair finish their bowl in silence until Miro decides to get up and walk towards Thomas, to the bed he's been taking care of, with a whisper in his lips.

"And it's mutual."

 

On an early morning, Miro is awaken by Thomas who starts yelling in his sleep. He's been sleeping in the same bed since they arrived in case Thomas ever needed something. He's shaking and whimpering which make Miro intervene.  

"Thomas," He tries, but it's no use, Thomas starts babbling. 

"I'm sorry Dad, I'm so-so-sorry I didn't mean I didn't mea- Miro Miro don't go don't- don't go..."

"Thomas" 

The Bavarian opens his eyes violently, before catching his breath. He starts breathing slower when Miro puts his hands on his chest. "Miro?" He whispers. "Where are we?" 

"A safe place, Holger's basement." 

"Who?" 

At least he's not shouting anymore, Miro tells himself. He puts a hand in his messy hair and smiles. 

"A friend of yours, from Dachau."

Thomas gives a confusion face, and Miro guesses he's too tired to follow. 

"Is it the summer yet?" 

Surprised by the unusual question, Miro replies. "Yeah." 

"Wanna go play some football?" 

"Maybe later." Miro laughs. 

There's something about the innocence of his tone that makes Miro realise he must be delirious. "Where are my parents?" 

"Thomas, you're a bit sick right now, but we're taking care of you." 

"Oh... okay." The boy doesn't even fight and accepts it. Miro hesitates whether to give him a small kiss, given his mind isn't in his present self. After debating with his inner voice, he gives in and pushes his lips to his forehead. Thomas looks up and blushes. 

"I love you." He says. 

A comfort fills Miro's spirit: even delirious, Thomas is still madly in love with him. 

"Me too,"

Thomas closes his eyes as if hearing those words healed him, but Miro can't. He can't lose him. It's one of those moments when he realises how his life would have no meaning if Thomas wasn't around anymore. 

"Thomas?" 

He doesn't reply, but makes a noise acknowledging he's listening.

"Promise that you'll stay with me." 

It's more of a comfort for himself, than for Thomas, but the Bavarian doesn't hesitate. "Always..." He whispers, and Miro can feel him drift off to sleep. 

 

"I don't know how, but he's getting better." Holger announces, and everyone cheers out of relief. Miro can't react, he's still too scared for his Thomas. When everyone leaves the room to eat diner, he sits down on the bed. 

"Go eat something Miro." Thomas tries, but it's useless. Miro shakes his head and lays down next to him. 

At times like theses, when he's laying next to him and Thomas is too tired to talk (which surprisingly can still manage to do even with a huge fever). His mind likes to fly away. It's a dangerous game to play. What happens when this war is over? What happens with Thomas? He doesn't want to leave him, he doesn't think he'd even be able to let go of him. He doesn't have a home in Poland anymore, it's been blown up. Thomas might be able to go back to his parents, if they're still alive... Unless... Maybe Thomas would like to spend the rest of his life with him. It's a silly thought. Thomas is turning 23, and Miro is far too old, yet, he likes to imagine a future with him, away from the horrors of war. Away from typhus, from the cruelty of bloodshed. Maybe after the war, Thomas and him could move back to Chiemsee, if Germany is ever safe for them. It's really the thought of growing old with Thomas with him with his books while Thomas climbs a tree that makes everything bearable. 

"You need to get better, for me." He kisses his hand, ignoring the fact Thomas has drifted to sleep. 

That night, Holger walks in interrupting his daydream.

"It's Bastian." 

 

Miro walks in the living room and hugs his friend tight. "We thought, we thought we lost you!" He whimpers and Bastian lets a tear drop.

"Lukas saved me." 

Philipp and Lukas are standing behind them, and Miro and Bastian turn to Lukas to share the hug between the three of them. 

"I can't believe how lucky you two were for me to find you in the supplies truck for the camp." Philipp exhales, from behind. 

"Basti?" 

The three know that voice extremely well, and they break apart to find Thomas on the door to the bedroom, barely standing up. His eyes are filled with tears, and Bastian rushes to him.

"I'm so sorry," Thomas starts through his voice. "I should have ran faster." 

But Bastian shakes his head. "It's okay. It wasn't your fault. I'm safe now." 

Thomas pulls away and smiles weakly. Bastian doesn't want to ask, and he doesn't have to.

"It's typhus." Thomas informs him. 

"But he's getting better." Holger adds. 

"So this is where we'll be staying? It's nice." Lukas looks around. "No unpleasant surprises?"

"No, my uncle is very well aligned with the Nazis. They wont suspect him." 

 

"How bad did he get?"

"We couldn't do a thing" Holger explains to Bastian near the radio. "I don't know how he's pulling through, but he's managing." 

"I imagine Miro has been taking care of him." Lukas adds, on the other side of the couch. 

Holger nods, and Lukas smiles. "Before you assume something, Lukas, jesteś szalony. I'd like to hear how you managed to get Bastian out safe." Miro walks into the room with a patronizing tone. 

Lukas giggles, and shakes his head. "Not before you tell me how Thomas kisse-"

He's stopped by the pillow thrown directly at his face by Bastian. On a brighter tone, he adds. 

"Basti and I heard that allied forces have started to attack North-Africa. Let's cross out fingers for the best."

 

 

"How's the war?" Thomas asks directly at Lukas. It's December 1942 now, and his body is finally starting to find the normal strength again. He's been living in the basement for about half a year now, and even if they're allowed to leave the house sometimes, under extreme precaution, they're not exactly fond of it, scared of being caught, but understand it's necessary to avoid losing their minds. The house isn't in Munich, anyway, so the probabilities of someone seeing them are slim.

Philipp and Holger visit them often, and tell them news around the world. 

Miro still has his nightmares about Auschwitz, and Thomas is always ready to comfort him. He knows the nightmares probably wont ever stop, but he's ready to help him as much as he can. 

"How long do you think we'll stay down here?"

Miro pulls his head from Thomas' chest. "Hopefully until the war is over" 

"I wanna go into town, I wanna find my parents." He admits, and Miro knows he can't stop him. 

"Okay." Thomas appreciates the fact that Miro loves him enough to know how important this is for him. He gives him a soft kiss to thank him. However, the Pole breaks it off and continues. "If you find something bad, Thomas, don't stay there, please. Promise me you wont throw away your life."

"I wont, don't worry." 

"I mean it. The past can haunt us, worse than we'd like to admit. Be prepared, and remember I'll be waiting for you to come back, so you better."

Thomas gives him his usual smile, which makes Miro resign, and fall into his kisses again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> jesteś szalony = you're crazy (according to google ok i speak 0 polish)
> 
> i'll give you guys a cookie if you find the parallel :D tehehe  
> no but what another chapter in such short time???????  
> i know inspiration is crazy and i'm really hoping to finally wrap this story up  
> thank you all so much again for commenting and reading <3


	17. Siebzehn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas has to decide where his future lies, meanwhile an uprising in Warsaw shake Marco, Robert and Woj.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas everyone!! :D

Munich in January has always looked beautiful, or so Thomas thinks. So much has changed since he left to Dachau. It's 1943. He'll be 24 in September. There's a chill in the air around him that makes him feel uneasy. Nazism started here, in these very same roads, it seems surreal to him. 

If he had guessed what his life would have turned out to be when he was younger, this would have been the last scenario. He never thought he'd be sneaking back into the house him and Bastian would spend their afternoons talking about stupid stuff or going outside. 

The snow is deep, and makes it specially difficult to avoid leaving footprints, but Thomas manages. It's freezing, typical of a morning here in the city. Thomas notices a piece of paper under his foot. When he focuses more, he realises it's not a simple paper, but a leaflet. Probably Nazi propaganda, he thinks as he picks it up. He's surprised to find the opposite written on it. 

_Support the resistance movement!_

Resistance? Here in Munich? He looks for more information, to find the name 'The White Rose Society' written on the back. He's interrupted by soldiers, and he immediately throws himself on the ground to take cover.

He's thankful he's thin enough to be able to hide anywhere. 

After they're gone, Thomas is careful to walk silently again. He passes in front of their old school, where so many times Bastian, Lukas and him ran home avoiding their classmates. A little bit longer, and every step he takes is a step heavier. He stops. 

The house feels different. Yet, it's such a typical winter, his parents could be eating dinner calmly inside as if nothing had ever happened. As if he hadn't been sick with Typhus, as if Miro hadn't been taken to a concentration camp, as if Bastian hadn't been captured and almost killed by Franz.

He shakes his head. 

It's not Munich that has changed: It's him.

"Thomas?" 

Her voice is as soft as he remembers, and it comes from behind. He turns around to find his mother, who has dropped her stuff in the snow. She gasps, and immediately pulls Thomas inside the house.

"Mother?" He asks. 

"They can't find you here." 

"What?" 

Thomas is in the basement faster than he realises, then, he watches how she wipes her tears and leans in for a hug. It's been so long since he's had an embrace from his mother. He relaxes.

"What happened to you? They just told us you were a traitor. They said you helped a Jew escape, but I didn't believe them. I know you wouldn't do such a thing."

Thomas doesn't move from the hug, but doesn't say a word. How could he? He's not the same Thomas who went to the Hitler youth. Sure, he never agreed with them, but now he had defied them. He had defied Hitler and everything he stands for. In a way, he had turned against his family. 

"I'm glad you're safe." He finally says when he pulls back. "How's father?"

"Where have you been?" 

He swallows. Thomas has always been a terrible liar, and he doesn't have a clue of what to say. 

"Oh my god." She realises. "You _did_ help a Jew escape didn't you?" 

She takes a step back. Her left hand moves to her mouth in shock. 

"I'm sorry" Thomas mumbles, scared of facing his mother. Eventually he sits down, and she sits next to him. 

"Why?" She asks, her voice shaking. "You could have died. Your father is now treated like a traitor at work. I just don't understand wh-"

"It's wrong."

"Wrong?"

Thomas closes his fists and looks up. "Murdering people in concentration camps? Making them work until they drop dead? Gassing people? Children? Does any of it sound right to you?" 

"Gassing? What?" 

It hits him that she probably has no idea what's going on in the world. She's after all, never left Munich, and never actually seen the world like he has. She's only known her perspective of it. 

"They want to wipe out ever Jew on the planet and they're killing them in gas chambers. It's called the Final Solution." 

She takes a moment to process the information.

"I couldn't go along with it." 

"Thomas, your life! You could have-"

They say that love is blind, and Thomas is sure that her motherly love is what's acting right now. 

"What's important is that you're here to stay now."

What? Thomas shakes his head. "I can't." He announces

They're interrupted by a voice.

"Honey? Are you home?"

"Down here, Georg." She voices, and when the door opens, Thomas feels his heart drop. 

* * *

 Woj opens the window. It's the early morning and light hasn't risen yet, but the city never sleeps.

"Hey, you. Come back to bed." 

Robert's sleepy voice calls him from behind. He turns around and obeys. His body crawls up next to the dark haired man. 

"Something's bothering you."

"It's this war, I'm sick of it." Woj admits. 

"Hitler's losing to the Soviets, it wont last much longer."

"But how long?" 

Woj sighs louder, but this time Robert reacts faster, he moves his head closer to his and brushes his lips against his. Their kiss turns into a tender moment that warms both of their hearts. 

"Wojciech..." Robert whispers. "I love you." 

Gunshots. The pair break apart and quickly grab their weapons. It's not something unusual for them, at this point. It's happened every now and then to be woken in the middle of the night by the SS, but they always have to take their precautions. 

By the time they're downstairs Marco joins them. It's sunrise, and Robert manages to take a hold of him.

"What's going on?"

"Lots of SS, on the Ghetto. We better check it out."

Lately Marco has assumed the position of leadership, alongside Robert. The two of them got their organization together based on equality. Robert grabs a better gun and charges it. Before leaving, Wojciech gives him a look, and he knows it perfectly. It's the 'I'm worried about you, please take care' Iook. He replies with a wink, knowing exactly how he's going to roll his eyes on him. 

Marco and Robert advance down the street. It's light enough to see the figures, but it's not the sight they'd expected to see. The Jews, surprisingly, are fighting back. The pair watch from a corner to the ghetto how men throw themselves at the officers. 

They don't have guns, but knifes at their disposal, and even if they manage to kill one of the guards, they're immediately killed by the other gunshots. 

"They're fighting back..." Marco mumbles. 

He doesn't finish, because a boy crashes into Robert from behind and falls. He's fast enough to point his gun at him. The boy has a terrified look upon his face and Marco's voice stops Robert from doing anything else.

"He's with us." 

He lowers his gun and the boy gets up and hurries next to Marco. 

"This is Mario." Marco introduces, and Robert almost misses the blush across his face.

Maro starts. "It's an uprising. They knew, they knew police units would return to Warsaw, this time with the intent of deporting thousands of the remaining to forced-labor camps for Jews. They know it's the entrance to hell. There's approximately 100,000 Jews in the ghetto." 

The gunshots continue, but so does the resistance of the Jews. Marco retrieves with the two of them back to their shelter. He gives orders for them all, and Robert manages to find Woj, who's arming some younger men. 

He explains everything, and they find their way between the men. 

Marco gives the order and they attack, they so fearlessly charge with their guns against the soldiers, helping the Jews. Woj has only one thought: he needs to take care of Robert, since he forgets to do it himself so often. 

* * *

 

Holger walks down the basement. He finds Bastian and Lukas sleeping on the couch. He follows to the bedroom where Miro is sitting on the bed looking at the ceiling.

"He still hasn't come back?" He asks. 

Miroslav shakes his head. Claudia arrives behind Holger and sighs.

"I think we should leave soon. It's not safe."

As much as Holger would like to deny it, rumors have started around town. People have started questioning why Philipp spends so much time in the house. 

"Where would we go?" Miro asks. He's tired of running, they all are. 

"We can talk it about it later, when the time comes." Holger changes the subject. "We should wait for Thomas to come back." 

"What if he doesn't?" 

Miroslav, Holger, Claudia all turn to Lukas, who has joined the conversation.

"His family has always been faithful to Hitler, and they've always had money. Maybe they'll offer him a pardon in exchange of a sum."

The room remains quiet. Miroslav eventually breaks it. "He wouldn't."

 

 

 

"You don't have to spend your life running, son." Georg starts. 

Thomas swallows his food quietly. 

"We can move to Chiemsee, you used to love it there, don't you remember?" 

"We have money to pay, you shouldn't worry about those false accusations made upon you." She muses. The pair had agreed to keep Thomas' secret from his father, knowing his position on the matter. 

"Think about it... No more running, no more hiding. We can prove it was a lie." 

"You could marry Lisa, she still lives here. Her brother went to war, so she's incredibly lonely." His mother tries. "I know she still has feelings for you, she always asks about you when I run into her at the market."

The thought of marrying someone who isn't Miroslav makes Thomas swallow his bite too early. He starts coughing hard and half choking himself. 

He stands up, and leaves the room. "I don't think... I'm sorry." 

His father is the first to respond, he follows him.

In the living room, he puts a hand on Thomas' shoulder. 'What's wrong?' He wants to say, but Thomas already has started. 

"I did break out someone out of Auschwitz." He admits. 

"Thomas, what are you-"

His tone has risen. "How can human people do that to other human people?!"

They both turn to Thomas' mother who has walked in the room.

"Georg, please.." 

"My own son..." He's staring at Thomas, who can't look into his father's eyes. "... has betrayed us."

"I'm sorry, I have to go." He gives up. He's glad his parents are doing fine, but he can't live with them anymore.

He's too different.

"Don't you dare..." 

It's not the right thing to do. He's walking towards the door looking for his jacket, before the voice of his father stops him. 

"What happened to your slavic friend?" 

"Who?" His mother asks. Thomas doesn't move a muscle. He had never imagined he'd remember Miroslav, out of all of Thomas' friends.

"The one from Chiemsee"

"Miroslav?" 

Thomas decides, for Miro's sake, that it's best to lie. "I haven't talked to him in years."

"I can't let you go. I'm sorry.." Georg starts, and he grabs the phone, and starts dialling a number. 

He doesn't wait for the other person to pick up. Thomas is already rushing out of his house, they wont be long. 

"I have news on my son-"

* * *

"They're going!" Mario shouts, and Woj can see that it's true. The SS are pulling their divisions back. He turns to find the army of Jews shouting.

_Victory!_

_You wont take us to death camps! You wont!_

He feels a pat on his back. "Woj, come on, let's go." Without hesitation, he follows him back to their headquarters unnoticed. 

"Robert, we won. They won." Marco can't believe it, he's been repeating it since they got back. The room fills itself with remaining resistance members. "We can save the people in the Ghetto."

Wojciech notices a red stain on Marco's leg, and when he walks, he seems to be limping. 

"Marco, are you okay?" He asks, to which Marco ignores completely. 

"They're going to come back stron-" Robert warns.

"Arg!" Mario arrives holding another man. They all raise their guns when they see the Nazi sign on his arm. "He was spying on us!" He throws the man to the ground and Marco takes a step closer. 

"Who are you?" 

"Damned resistance. We all know where you're hiding. We'll kill you all, by tomorrow, everyone who has been seen here for the past months will be dead." He spits some blood and Robert gives Marco a look.

"He's bluffing." Marco whispers, but Robert has his eyes back on the spy. 

"We know who you are, Satan. And we've seen who are your loved ones. We know about who holds your affections." 

Woj's eyes widen, as the man turns around looking in the crowd for him.

"Wojciech Szczęsny! I know abo-" Before he can finish, Robert hits him hard on the head and he passes out.

"We need to get out." He warns Marco, who nods. "I've been prepared if anything like this ever happened."

Wojciech finds his way to Robert with a terrified look on his face. They've just been exposed. 

"We're going to board a ship, to America." 

"Are you mad? They'd never let us."

"I still have friends in Germany. In Dresden, they can help us." 

"What about Poland?" Robert objects. 

Marco gives him a look, he needs to listen to reason, and Woj talks him down. "It's for our safety. We'll come back, someday." 


	18. Achtzehn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The SS are looking everywhere, which means they have to move again.

Running isn't enough, by the time he's down at the center of the town. There's Nazis everywhere. It's Munich, 'die Hauptstadt der Bewegung'. There's no way he's getting caught, not like Bastian did. He wont allow it.

"Thomas!" His father's voice echoes in his head with every step he takes. He has to run from these monsters. He's forced to stop and catch his breath. He's lost the count of the streets he's ran. When his attention focuses again, he notices an open door in front of him. 

"Might as well.." He says as he hastes inside it. It's a narrow way, but Thomas, being as thin as he is, has absolutely no problem getting around. It leads to a room. And Thomas can make out there's a lot of people there, talking, chattering. When the hallway gets wider, Thomas knows he has to hide, or he will be found and hung. He looks up for help, following the wall, he spots that the wall doesn't quite arrive to the ceiling, in fact: there's enough space for someone like him to slip there unnoticed. Thomas manages to get his tiny body up. To his relief, the wall turns into a floor of unfinished materials where he can lay down unsuspected. He can hear people speaking, and by the looks of it, they're Nazis. 

"Good one, Müller." Thomas annoyingly tells himself. 

"And now, my party comrades, this National Socialist state has crushed this ring of encirclement in historically unique blows. The heroism of its soldiers pushed the fronts nearly everywhere over a thousand kilometers from the borders of the Reich. "

That voice. He knows exactly who that voice is. He's grown up listening to it. Thomas scooches over the raspy floor to have a better look. A crowd full of SS and Nazi followers with their right arm held high to one man on the stand. His stomach surrounds itself  with hate, as Adolf Hitler continues giving words. 

"The Americans and the English are right now planning the rebuilding of the world. I am right now planning the rebuilding of Germany! There will, however, be a difference: while the rebuilding of the world through the Americans and the English will not take place, the rebuilding of Germany through National Socialism will be carried out with precision and according to plan!"

People clapping their hands, and music begins. Hitler's arm raises high as they all begin to sing

_Deutschland, deutschland über alles..._

He hasa gun, but Thomas can't even process he's in the same room as the one man who started all of this. If he was dead, the war would be over. He wouldn't have to run anymore....

But before he can act, Hitler is already moving out of the room with immense applause. 

 _"Heil Hitler"_ The crowd cheers, and Thomas feels a drop fall on his cheek. It's frustrating to be this helpless. All he can do is wait until the Nazis go home, so he can as well. 

 

"I think we should at least wait," Holger replies.

"For what? to get caught? We need to get out of Germany into England. I have friends there, the resistance. Then we can plan stuff better from there." 

"How do you plan on getting there if German planes haven't managed?" 

Bastian and Miro don't say a word, they quietly take another spoon of their soup. Holger continues.

"Philipp took Claudia and Julian and escaped to Switzerland. We wont ever know if they made it." 

Lukas shakes his head "But they had someone there... And Philipp has a reputation, it's easy for him to move."

They try to ignore the gunshots outside, but even if no one will say it, it makes all of them nervous. Bastian speaks up.

"I agree with Lukas. They want all Jews to die, it wont be long until they search again every house. It's even dangerous for your uncle. They'll kill him if they find out he's been hiding two traitors, a Jew and a Pole." 

"We need to get to a port up north. Maybe Bremen, or Hamburg.... Hamburg is busier, there's a lower change to get caught there. If only we could warn Marco and the others."

Miroslav finishes his soup and stands up without saying a word. It's Bastian who catches him with his voice before he's gone to the bedroom.

"Hey, hold up."

He turns around and notices that Lukas, Holgi and him are staring with his eyes wide open. They want an opinion. 

"I don't fancy the idea to be recaptured." He says. "I think it's best if we try to get out of Germany."

"That's the thing, we run the risk of getting captured either way." Lukas rants. "We need to move, tomorrow or the day after." 

Miro intervenes. "I'm not leaving without Thomas."

"Of course not," Lukas agrees. "When Thomas comes back, we have to get on the move. Here, we could go through Dresden and then..." 

Bastian follows Miro in the bedroom while Holger endures Lukas' plans about their future. 

"He's coming back." Bastian starts.

"I know." 

"It was foolish of him to go in the first place." 

Miroslav can't really agree, since he was desperate to find his own mother back when he had the chance. He's had time to accept the fact he'll probably never see her again. So instead he shrugs.

"He's been gone for 3 days." The blond smiles. "Don't worry." 

"Bastian..." 

"Hm?"

He hesitates, then lets it out. "What happens after the war?"

"After? Well, I hope we get to live to see that day." He jokes, as he sits down on the bed where Miro is sitting. 

"I mean, you and Lukas, are you going to stay... together?" 

It clearly takes Bastian by surprise, as he blushes. Miro smiles, and with it lets him know he's known for a while now about their closeness. 

"Well, if you must know, yeah, I'm not going to let him go away. He's been too far from me already, and I don't think he'd have an objection to it. I've lost so much in this war, I don't really have anything to go back to... He's become my home you know? I guess I... love him." 

Miro stares at him with his icy blue eyes. 

"Do you.. Do you think Thomas loves me like that?"

Bastian's smile is as wide as Miro has ever seen it. "Are you kidding? The boy's been in love with you since you met, he's probably already planned out where you two will grow up together or something." 

He watches the Pole relax and starts again.

"I mean it... Thomas... he's always been torn in two. He had his father telling him to do one thing, but then he had you too, and you didn't even told him what to do, he just got it." 

"Just like you had Lukas." 

"Yeah, well, but at home, my family wasn't as... pro-Nazi as Thomas', I think he would have turned out to be one of them, if it weren't for you." 

"He's told me that." Miro admits, but it's hard to see someone as pure-hearted as Thomas hurting people. 

"You should ask him, about what happens after the war." Bastian winks.

Miro smiles and opens his mouth, but stops when he hears the door opening and someone tumbling to the ground.

 

"Thomas!" Holger shouts and helps him up. "Are you hurt?" 

The Bavarian shakes his head despite the heavy breathing, showing signs of all the running he's just had.

"We... We... we need to move.. They know I'm.. I'm here.. They'll look.. Every house." 

Lukas turns to Bastian, who nods. Miro takes a step towards Holger who gives him Thomas' weight. When he identifies Miro, Thomas lets himself fall into his arms. 

"It's okay, you're safe with me." He tells him, and Thomas nods slowly, with his half crooked smile. He buries his head in Miro's neck. 

"Start packing, we leave tomorrow." Lukas anounces. 

 

"I saw him." Thomas starts, when no one but Miro is listening. "Hilter, I mean." 

"Hitler?" Miro can't hide the surprise, after a while, he adds. "Is he as ugly as on the posters?" 

"Much more."

They're behind Lukas, Bastian and Holger, who decided to not go back to Dachau, even if it meant being a wanted criminal as well. He didn't want to take any more part in the abomination of it all.

"Thomas..." Miro starts, remembering his conversation with Bastian. "Remember when you said you only wanted to be with me?" 

"Uh, yeah, why?"

His voice is so innocent, it gives Miro strength to continue. "Well, I was just... thinking... What happens after the war?" 

"We get to live, hopefully." 

"I mean..." 

"I know what you mean." Thomas gives him a warm smile, that calms him down. "If it's okay with you, I'd like us to live together, some place. Maybe England, maybe America, maybe.. Africa, since it's been liberated. I don't really care were, as long as you're with me."

"How about Chiemsee? We could build a small house on the meadow." 

Thomas' eyes glow as Miro can tell he's imagining it. It's adorable. "Just the two of us?" 

He takes a step closer, and grabs Thomas' hand covered in a mitten. The want for his lips is unbearable, he thinks. Maybe just a peak... Miro makes sure none of the other three are looking, and leans in to drop a kiss on Thomas' lips. 

"Maybe we could invite Holger, Lukas and Basti every now and then." He adds, taking breaks from his lips. 

The Bavarian blushes. "I really care for your surprise kisses." 

 

March comes surprisingly warm this year, and by the time they're in Dresden, there's only the shadow of a town that once was. Hitler has lost the war to the Soviets, who now are counter-attacking. Lukas seems to think this is their chance to get out. 

"We need to find a Joachim Löw, he smuggles people out of Germany." 

"How do you know him?" Holger asks. 

"He used to train our resistance unit. He told us to meet him at the Frauenkirche if anything happened." 

It's a beautiful church, Thomas thinks. The light enters in a way he's never seen before. They've been waiting for when no guards are near it, when they all follow him inside, and sit at the darkest place in the church. 

Thomas takes a good look around, avoiding any soldiers, keeping an eye out for Miro as well. There's a man with his head covered up in a hood that makes him suspicious. He turns to Lukas to inform him, but he's already seen it. Lukas is walking towards him. 

"The sky is full of stars." Lukas speaks quietly.

The men takes off the hood to reveal no one but Marco. Impulse makes Thomas want to run and hug him, but Miro stops him.

"Lukas?!" He's as surprised as the rest of them.

"What are you doing here?"

"Looking for Jogi,"

"Likewise..."

They're interrupted by another man, with dark hair out of the blue. 

"Meet me at the crypts after midnight." 

He doesn't say another word and turns around and leaves. If Thomas had been distracted, he would have missed him completely. What a mysterious man. 

Miroslav manages to grab his hand, and they're gone as soon as they can.

 

"Robert!" Thomas greets. The tall man gives him a wink and gives him a pat on the back.

Woj arrives from behind, "I see you two have stuck together." 

Miro and Thomas look at each other and blush. Marco and Lukas have both gone to the crypts to meet Joachim, leaving them patiently waiting for their future. 

"There's been an uprising, Warsaw. They're taking everyone they can. Unfortunately, they were on our tails, we had to leave."

Miro nods. "I understand, you did as much as you could. Did anyone stay behind?"

"Yeah, we left Mario in charge of what's left. If you ask me, Marco's been checking the poor lad out." 

The Poles laugh as they bite another piece of their bread. 

Holger and Thomas are on watch. They're inside an old burned down building, where the Nazis wouldn't dare to look. The window is clear enough to see if someone would walk on them, in case of emergency. 

"Do you think they have good food in England?" Holger starts, which amuses Thomas. "They have tea... and fish and chips!" 

"You'll find something tasty, don't worry.... Their football is kind of lame, though."

"I don't think Lukas would agree."

 

It's not long before the pair return. 

"There's a boat in Hamburg. It's one of the last ones, Jogi gave us a name..."

"Mr. Neuer, he works in the docks." 

"' _Find Manuel Neuer, he'll know what to do_ '" Marco nods. 

"Hamburg is it, then." 

 

"I can't believe it's already Summer." Holger starts. "We lost too much time in Dresden." 

"It was safe for a while there." Woj justifies. "Besides, we had to find Jogi."

"This is it." Marco announces, and they all look down the hill. There lies a city, and the sea. Thomas breathes in the fresh air and his eyes get watery. After so much travelling, the idea of finding a such awaited peace makes him emotional. In other words, right ahead lies their way out of Germany. "Come on." 

Lukas points out the importance of finding shelter in old abandoned buildings before trying to find Neuer. Bastian and everyone had agreed, yet struggled to find a place. Alas, it was getting too late for them to keep looking.  

"I guess we need to find him first, then." Miro sighs.

Arriving to the port, Bastian asks for this sailor, using his typical Bavarian accent to encourage the young novices he was not to be suspected. They had immediately pointed him in the direction without hesitation. Manuel Neuer was a tall blond man, with blue eyes. He looked strong, and young as he carefully charged some boxes on his ship. 

"I'm with Jogi." Bastian announces, after making sure no one was around to listen. Manuel stops and looks back with a raised eyebrow. He's skeptical.

"Jogi?" 

"You are Manuel Neuer, aren't you?"

The tall man takes a step towards him and analyses Bastian. "How can I know if I can trust you."

"We need help, my friends and me. I come with a Jew and a Pole who seek refuge, as well as two other Germans and myself who have turned against the SS in a way."

"In a way?"

"We broke someone out of Auschwitz, the concentration ca-" Bastian can't even finish, when Manuel shushes him. "Don't say another word. Come with me." 

 

Manuel's house was in the middle of town, near the big avenue. They were inside the small but cozy house, in the cellar. "You can stay here the night." 

Holger smiles. "Thank you." 

After being fed, Lukas drops the subject. "We came here for a boat, do you think it's possible to smuggle us out to London?" 

"London? The sea is lurking with submarines. If the Germans don't shoot you down, the British will."

"Denmark then? Sweden? There must be a way."

Manuel takes a zip of his wine, and nods slowly. 

"Sweden could work. They're always sending their ships to trade, under pressure of Germany. They also ship to England, in spite of being attacked but Nazi submarines, but it's the best chance you'll get.

The man stands up and shows them a couple of rolls.

"It's all I have for you to sleep, I'm sorry, I wish I had more."

They all thank him in union again, as Manuel goes to the door, he hesitates.

"I hope you all understand, how dangerous this is. Their submarines can sink any ship they want, no matter if friend or foe. You could all die." 

"We're dead if we stay here." Robert replies, and Manuel nods. 

 

 

 

Miro and Thomas have been laying on their small roll, holding each other close. 

"Kocham Cię..." Miro whispers into his ear, and he purrs in return. "I love you too..."

"Forever..."

"Zawsze..." The Pole repeats in his language, resulting in Thomas drifting off to sleep. 

It's midnight when the first allied bomb falls upon Hamburg.

"We need to get out." Manuel shouts from downstairs, and they're all on their feet, ready to go. 

"Bombs?" Miro manages to ask as they walk out, but then a big blast near them sends them a few steps back. It's a thundering, blazing hell. The streets are burning along with the trees and the tops of them are bent right down to the street.

"Come on!" Lukas shouts, bringing the group back into reality.

"We need to get to the ships." Robert screams to Manu's approval. The air is burning, like everything else around them. Robert grabs Wojciech by the wrist and pulls him closer, not to leave him behind. The poor man snaps back to reality at his touch. 

Thomas coughs through the smoke, and the explosions, who still haven't stopped. Every 5 minutes, they see a new blast somewhere in the sky. 

There's people everywhere, shouting and screaming in fear of death. Miroslav watches hurt women, children, old people struggling to find a way out of the flames. Is this what hell looks like? Fire has always been linked to the inferno, and it's terrible. It's tearing apart thousands. They're near the docks, when Bastian jumps on Miro. 

"Where's Thomas?" There's panic in it. He looks around.

"We need to move!" Manuel warns, when he sees the two of them have stopped. "Get in the ship! Quickly!" 

"Thomas!" Miro shouts, but his voice is lost between the deep, hollow sound of the bombs, the fire and fear. His voice is shaking, and he can't even manage to repeat it loud enough. Robert gets down once Woj has climbed on the ship with Holger and Marco and hurries back to where Miroslav is standing. 

He gathers the strength again. "Thomas!" He turns to Robert who has arrived.

"Where did you last see him?" 

Miroslav can't reply... He thinks, Thomas, he saw him following him, earlier, close to Manuel's house.  

"We have to go!" Manuel warns again. "Every second we spend is a second we could die from a blast!"

Lukas nods, and tries to pull Bastian by one arm. However, he's not moving. He's in shock, Thomas has to show up. 

Robert tells Miro they have to go as if he hadn't heard Manuel. 

"I'm not leaving without him!"

He shouts a bit too hard on Robert, with tears in his eyes, which Robert can understand. He turns to find Manuel cutting the ropes to leave, and gives the Poles one last warning. That's when Miro sees him. Thomas is moving rapidly straight down the street in front of Miroslav, Robert, Bastian and Lukas with a child on his shoulders. The child has his mouth covered avoiding the smoke. Miro curses his heart for being so kind, this once. At his sight, Bastian accepts to board the ship quickly followed by Lukas.

Thomas is okay, they're going to be okay.

Miroslav waves to hurry him up, and Robert's heart drops the moment a tree falls exactly in front of where Thomas is headed for. 

The flames from the tree fall on an abandoned car, and having crashed thanks to the trafic, explodes in return. 

The two of them stagger from the blow, and Miroslav's eyes widen. "No!" He shouts, and automatically rushes towards the fire. He would have been there in a heartbeat if it weren't for Robert who's there to hold him back.

"Let me go!" He begs, but Robert is stronger, "Let me go!" The car in flames, bursts again, and this time Miroslav's body pulls faster than he's ever pulled. 

Robert's heart breaks listening to Miro's screams. It's not even proper words, just whimpering. When no one comes through the flames, Robert knows they have to go.

"There's nothing you can do.." He tells him. "There's nothing you can do!" 

"Tho--Tho-" 

The words echo and the bombs and fires have stopped, Miroslav doesn't feel when Robert carries him on the ship. He doesn't feel the waves when Manuel let's the ropes drop away from the dock into the ocean. He doesn't feel Robert's touch on the shoulder or his words, any of his words. Bastian and Holger aren't even in his line of sight.

He doesn't feel anything. This can't be happening. 

And of course, he doesn't feel a thing when his legs eventually give up and crumble to the ground, ending with his head hitting the edge. The image of Thomas running to him is fading away, then it's all black.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im so sorry  
> *hides*
> 
> die Hauptstadt der Bewegung = capital of the movement  
> (i do german a tinyyyy bit better than polish but it's still not near as good as anything so i apologise for any mistakes!)


	19. Neunzehn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The stages of grief for Miroslav and the group.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> o k so /wARNING/ this is a very sad chapter, it's probably THE saddest chapter i'm so sorry
> 
> on a better note HAPPY NEW YEAR :D

No one has really said anything about it since it happened. Marco has spent his time on the bridge next to Manuel as if it would let him forget. He can't forget the look on Bastian's face when Manuel threw the rope and his best friend wasn't on board, and Miroslav repeating Thomas' name over and over without control. 

It seemed like a twisted dream. He wanted to wake up from it as soon as possible.

"No enemy ship in sight." Manuel tells him, trying to distract him, but Marco doesn't reply. He serves himself another glass of licor to help him deal. 

 

"I'm so sorry. It's all my fault." Lukas mumbles. 

Bastian isn't doing fine. He's just been staring at the ocean, as if Thomas would magically appear and tell them everything would be fine. It doesn't feel real. It can't be real. 

"It was the bomb, not your doing." He starts. "Have you.. talked to Miroslav?" 

Lukas shakes his head, and Bastian looks at him. He's got tears in his eyes, and Lukas immediately wraps his arms around him. He's not used to crying, and Bastian doesn't know how to deal with all the grief inside of him. 

"Tell me this isn't happening." He whimpers, and Lukas simply holds him closer.

 

Not far, Holger is sitting on the floor, his head against a wall. He watches how Lukas holds Bastian who is obviously crying. He's let Thomas down. Thomas is gone. A tear falls on his cheek, and he hides his face in his knees. What will Philipp say when he finds out?

"Hey." He sniffs to look up at Wojciech. "Here." 

The Pole hands him a bar of chocolate. "Manuel had a couple, I think you should eat a bit, it's been a while since any of us had tasty chocolate."

"I'm not hungry." Holger admits. "I don't want.. I.. I don't want to keep..." 

Woj sits next to him and opens the chocolate bar and takes a bite. 

"I know it's hard, but Thomas... He wouldn't have wanted you to give up. He would have wanted his loved ones to be safe. If you don't eat, you'll get weaker. He wouldn't want that." 

His voice is trembling, but Holger appreciates the effort.

"We need to get somewhere safe, promise me you wont give up."

He hands Holger the chocolate bar again, and this time Holger takes it.

 

Robert opens the door. The icy blue eyed man is staring at the ceiling, laying on the bed and his attention focuses on him.

"Miro, you're awake."

"Yeah, the waves woke me up. I just have a bad headache."

"Well you did hit your head pretty... hard."

He sits up, and Robert hands him a bit of chocolate. 

"For me?" Miro asks, surprised. "I'm gonna save half for Thomas later. He loves chocolate." 

Robert feels his heart drop. "Uh," He hesitates.

"Hows everyone?" 

Devastated. Depressed. Destroyed. Robert can't think of a word to describe what's these past days have been like. He shakes his head. 

"I have to go back." Miroslav tells him, looking at the chocolate bar between his fingers.

Robert is lost, "Back where?" 

"Hamburg."

"Hamburg's still being bombed. Allied forces haven't stopped."

But Miro ignores him. "I have to go back." He repeats. When Robert doesn't reply, he continues. "I need to find Thomas."

"Thomas?" 

"Miro, listen to me." It pains him to do this, but somebody has to. "Thomas is gone, he's dead."

The man raises an eyebrow, then slowly shakes his head.

"No, he's not."

Robert doesn't understand. He saw it. It was no other but Miro, who shared the view when the car exploded. No one came running from behind the flames.  

"He's not dead. I know he's not. That's why I need to look for him."

"You'll get yourself caught, and sent back to a camp."

"I don't care. Anything is better than not having him by my side." 

Robert sighs. "Thomas wouldn't have wanted you to throw your life away like that." It looks as if Robert had just insulted Miro, because the man stands up from his bed and walks outside.

"How could he know what Thomas would or wouldn't have wanted? Anyway, he's not dead." He mumbles. "He's not dead." 

"Miro?" Bastian calls him, when he steps on the deck. His eyes are swollen and red, indicating what Miroslav denies.

"He's not dead." He tells him. 

Lukas is behind him, and Bastian shakes his head.

"It's hard for me too... But..."

"We need to go back to Hamburg, we've got no time to lose." 

Miroslav knows exactly that Manuel is the one who's in command, he turns to find the captain's cabin and climbs the stairs. He opens the door and finds Marco with a bottle in his hands. Why has everyone but him given up hope?

Manuel gives him an apologetic look, and then looks down. "I'm sorry for your loss."

His loss? Miro doesn't stutter. 

"We need to turn back, he's alive. I know he's alive."

The man's blue eyes are round, but he doesn't move. Marco on the floor raises his head. 

"Do you want us to die as well?"

"He's.. he's still.." 

They're interrupted by Bastian, who bursts the door. Miro feels his heart drop. 

"He's alive!" 

His desperate voice pierces the silence in the room, as Miro waits for Manuel to change his course, but he doesn't. Instead, Bastian's voice starts.

"Miro, please..." 

The Pole turns to his friend, tears forming in his eyes. "You don't believe me?" 

The blond stares at him for a moment, then looks down, shaking his head.

"I wish I did... but there were bombs everywhere. You saw it yourself.."

The fact Bastian has given up on Thomas makes Miroslav's heart break, and for the first time since he woke up, the idea that he has lost Thomas forever sinks in. He takes a few steps outside and walks down the stairs back to the deck.

No more silly jokes about horses or football, no more of that crooked smile, no more stolen kisses when no one was watching, no more holding each other, no more Thomas.

He's arrived at the edge and he can see the sea moving steady. It's so calm, as if nothing of this had happened. As the first tear drops into it, he feels Bastian's hand on his back. 

 

* * *

 

"The allies have captured Rome!"

Robert bursts in the door. The party had safety travelled to England a couple of weeks ago, after months of hiding in ships in Sweden then to the United Kingdom. They had found their way to London, where Lukas had friends. Aaron Ramsey was a Welsh business man who owned a place in the city and offered them shelter. Holger had found a job as a doctor in the nearest hospital, while Robert, Marco, Wojciech, Bastian and Lukas had all been helping their neighbourhood in any way they could.  

"Mussolini is still going to fight, though. Those fascists wont surrender."  

It was on all the papers. It was a matter of time when Germany would capitulate, according to Aaron. 

Marco smiles. "It's great news, but the allies still need France." 

"About that..." Lukas grinned back. "They're planning a giant operation. I heard they want to send everything, aerial, naval bombardments, to liberate France."

Wojciech and Robert turn to each other.

"I.. want to join them." Lukas admits.

Bastian sighs. He knows Lukas too well to know how much he wants to free his home from theses monsters. He had seen it coming since they had arrived to England.

"It's too risky, have you ever even been to war?" He simply says. "You're a skilled soldier, but in a battle, it's a matter of luck. We've already lost too much."

He's obviously talking about Thomas. Losing him was one of the biggest blows he thought he would never have to face. 

"I don't want you lose you as well."

Robert steps in. "It's hard, but I agree with Lukas. We ran from Poland, I think we owe it to England and France..." He turns to Woj to apologize, but before he can say anything, Woj starts.

"I guess I'm joining you then."

"Woj?" He's confused, and Wojciech smiles. "You know I'll follow you anywhere, even the darkest place on earth." 

Bastian turns to the pair with an horrified look on his face. 

He steps up and tries harder. 

"I.. It's suicide!" 

He knows where he'll get support. He turns to Miroslav, who's been sitting on the coach all this time, reading the newspaper. 

"Miro, tell them not to go. Tell them.."

But the Pole strikes otherwise. "It doesn't matter." He says, without taking an eye off his paper. It's been hard on all of them, but Miro's quite not recovered from the blow. Ever since they arrived, he's been lonelier than usual, screaming during the night when he thinks no one can hear him. 

"Miro... You don't mean that." Marco quietly says. 

"Leave me out of it."

The man closes the paper, gets up and starts walking away. But Bastian can't leave it like that. He doesn't want to lose Lukas the way he lost Thomas.

"I can't... I need you to hep me stop them-" 

"Leave me alone." 

Miro faces Lukas and Robert. He would consider joining up as well, but he hardly knows how to shoot, and it's pointless. 

"We can't lose them like we lost him..."

It's the last straw. Miro blankly turns to Bastian and fully understands. "You don't want to lose Lukas..."

Holger opens the door and stops at the sight of the two men challenging each other. He's got tears in his eyes, and his voice is shaking. Miroslav adds. 

"I couldn't stop Thomas from being blown up. Life isn't fair. Why should you have that chance?"

When he realizes what he's said, Miro looks at Lukas. The man, instead, takes a few steps towards him. Holger thinks Lukas might make the confrontation worse, when he does the opposite. 

Lukas folds his arms around Miroslav, who is completely shocked. "Wszyscy go brakuje... zrozumieć swój gniew, Miro." 

Robert and Woj look down. Bastian follows Lukas and hugs Miroslav, who is now lost in tears. 

 

After a lot of discussions over the subject. Marco, Lukas, Robert and Wojciech had agreed to join the army, and began preparations for what seemed to be a huge desicive battle in the war. Bastian had secretly been training, behind their backs, as he wasn't going to let Lukas go on there alone. He'd protect him until he could, just like Wojciech seemed to do for Robert. 

Lukas was worth dying for. 

He was training in the Special Operations Executive. A top secret resistance organisation that almost no one knew about, charged with helping the resistance. Aaron had asked him if he wanted to join, as he could help incredibly being a fluent German speaker. He managed to evade his friends' questions, until one night, he found Miroslav near the window when he got home.

"Can't sleep?" He asks

Bastian tries to lie. "I went for a walk, after work." For his friends, he had simply begun working at a bank. 

"Until 3 in the morning?" A skeptical Miro questions.

"I could ask you the same."

He can see the edge of the smile on Miro's mouth reflected by the moonlight. He doesn't hesitate.

"Nightmare. Again."

Bastian knows what he's talking about, and comes to sit next to him.

"Is it Auschwitz? Or Hamburg?"

"It's Thomas." He speaks softly. He's able to call his name without breaking down now. "He haunts my dreams. It usually begins with us as Chiemsee, we're happy, he's playing with his ball. But I can't touch him, he runs if I try, and when I catch up with him... He fades away."

His voice trails off, and Bastian sighs. 

"A week ago I found myself wishing I had never helped him when we met, when his ball got caught in a tree, so I'd be spared all this pain.... But if it weren't for him, I'd probably be dead..."

"He lives in all of us, who remember him. And I'll make sure he'll be remembered, for breaking a prisoner out of Auschwitz... History wont forget him."

"I just wish it had been me..."

Bastian gives a pat on his back. 

"It's useless to torture yourself like that. Thomas would have wanted you to be happy, to help other people."

Miroslav nods, and wipes the tear away.

"You know it better than anyone, don't you?" 

"What?"

"Miro, if this operation succeeds, Germany is next, which means we could go back home. You could go back to Chiemsee."

The Pole can't hide that even with Thomas gone, he'd enjoy spending his last years there. It's the closest link to him. 

"Help us."

"Who?"

"The SOE, we're planning a bunch of sabotages for the Germans when the landings occur... We need people who are committed to the cause."

"Who?"

"It's who I'm working for, it's a secret resistance group. We're going to deliver plans to the French resistance." 

"Bastian, I barely speak French."

"You wont be going alone, but they need a person who speaks German, you know, for the radio."

"What about you?"

"I'll be going with another unit. Our plan consists in sabotaging the telephones lines so Axis forces can't ask for reinforcements. We need someone to deliver the plan for the resistance leaders. You'd be going near Normandy, and deliver the message and wait for us." 

"What my message?"

"You're going to tell them they need to sabotage the rail system."

"So the place will be isolated when they arrive."

"Exactly, the BBC will broadcast information on the attack, snatches of poetry, quotations from literature, or random sentences, but they need to know what they're looking for."

Miroslav takes a deep breath. 

"No one can know?" 

"We need a doctor too... I was thinking of telling Holgi." 

"When do we leave?" 

Bastian smiles, but before he can reply. "I'm doing this for Thomas."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SO SORRY FOR THE SAD  
> i really used googled translate (as always): We all miss him, we understand your anger = Wszyscy go brakuje, zrozumieć swój gniew.  
> if someone speaks polish could you please tell me if it's right or not! *thanks you forever forever*


	20. Zwanzig

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Resistance corps are were you least expect them..

He's in a heavy black cloud. There's nothing to see, nothing to hear. Just the heaviness in his whole body. It's like he's forgotten how to open his eyes. 

People talking. He strains to hear and make sense of it all. No idea. Where is he? Where's Miroslav? There's some light shining on his closed eyes - a strange glow. He struggles to open them.

Success.

It's a bright white place. Someone is bending over him, but his eyes are still getting used to opening. The blur fades away.

"You're finally awake." It's a woman's voice, and it's such a soft comfort. 

He tries to remember how to talk. No words come, but he blinks hard. He clears his throat. All that comes out is a tiny whisper.

"Where am I?"

The calm voice starts again. "There were bombings from the enemy, they didn't stop for a week... They finally ceased a couple of days ago. I'm a nurse here, I've been taking care of people like you."

He doesn't reply, his brain is still in a blur, he can't seem to place a single thing. She continues.

"What's your name? Do you have a family?" 

He takes his time to understand the question.

"Thomas."

She nods. "Do you remember your last name?" She dares.

"M- Müller." Thomas knows he might get recognized, but he knows his name is extremely popular in his country. He's really lucky. 

"I think you might be suffering from a bit of memory loss, which is completely normal after what you went through. I'll try to help you from the confusion."

She helps Thomas sit up and his head makes him feel sorry for it. She puts a pillow behind him.

"My name is Jeanne, and I'm here to help. What's the last thing you remember?" 

Miroslav, he remembers Miro but he can't exactly place him. There's woods, but why were they in the woods? He tries to think about what happened, but nothing comes to him.

"I remember a church, but... It's so vague... I can't see the faces of anyone there." 

"It's okay. Were you alone?"

He shakes his head, "I'm not sure..." 

"Let's try with something easier. Have you been in Hamburg long?"

"Hamburg?" It comes like a shock to him. He can't remember coming here. It doesn't make sense. "What day is it?"

"It's August 5th, 1943." 

He's not even sure what's the last date he properly remembers. 

"Hamburg has been a catastrophe, the same can be expected for Berlin as soon as the nights are long enough for the enemy raiders to reach it."

"I was with a group." 

"That's excellent!" She smiles. He tries to focus on the silhouettes, but he can't see their faces, just Miro.

Thomas closes his eyes. He loses himself in Miro's eyes that are on him, and he instantly feels better. He mumbles something, but Thomas can't catch it. 

"Miro.." He whimpers.

"Is that your wife?"

The Bavarian open his eyes at her question, but he doesn't have the strength to reply.

"I think you should rest, don't worry. We'll find her." The nurse smiles and leaves.

Thomas blinks. 

_Her?_

 

It takes him a couple of weeks to remember that he was in Hamburg to escape the Nazis. Except he can't tell Jeanne, the nice nurse that has been with him ever since he woke up. As far as she's concerned, Thomas is a German traveller who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

"Your left leg is in bad shape. I'd say broken. You can stay here until it heals, so there's no hurry" She tells him. "After that, however, you should find a place to stay."

Thomas nods. "I understand." 

"Do you have the money?"

"Not really, he admits."

"Maybe you'll find your wife by the time it heals. I'd say you'll be out for at least three months. Do you remember more about her?" 

Thomas blushes at the mention of his ' _wife_ ' _,_ but shakes his head. He remembers Miro and him going somewhere, and that place was obviously Hamburg, but what was the plan? Where is he now, and more importantly...

Why did he leave Thomas?

Even with his memory lag, he knows Miro better than anyone, and he knows that he would never leave Thomas willingly. Which brought him to another point, he was found while the bombs exploded, what if something similar had happened to Miro... and he hadn't had the same luck?

The idea is too dark for him to consider it. 

"I do remember more faces, I was with my friends, Bastian and Lukas."

"Any last names? I found another Thomas Müller on the lists, but this one is 78 years old."

"Bastian Schweinst..." She writes it down. "Uh... wait no, I'm not sure. I can't be sure it's that." 

She gives him a sorry look. He shrugs. 

"We will, don't worry. Give your memory time."

He breathes out. Bastian is also a wanted criminal, and Lukas a Jew. He almost gave their identity away. What a idiot. 

 

After another two weeks, Thomas can walk a bit, with the help of crutches. Jeanne likes to accompany him during his meals at the hospital. He's sick of the place, but he has no where else to go. He still hopes Miro will arrive and save him.

But he never does.

Thankfully, his memory has gotten better. He remembers Holger, Philipp along with Claudia and Julian. The fact he almost died from typhus in Holger's basement, along with him meeting his parents. 

The only thing he can't put his finger on is what happened in Hamburg. Jeanne says it's normal he's suffering from lack of memory. The trauma by the bombs could have induced it. 

"Anything new today?" She asks.

"I'm worried about my friends."

"Nothing new then."

She can't promise that they're alive, so instead she changes the subject.

"How about you tell me about Miro... I've seen a lot of men relax when they remember people they love."

Thomas freezes. She knows he's in love with him, but what would she know if she found out it's not a she but a he? Thomas is aware what happens to people like him. 

"Uhh."

"It's okay, tell me anything... How you met?"

"I was a young boy, who would always spend his summers near a lake. I was obsessed with football and I had lost my ball in a tree one day, so I asked Miro for help... After that, we always met up right before the war came." 

"That's so romantic."

Thomas gives her a weak smile. "I didn't always know I was in love, it took me time to realise it, you know? Even though everyone seemed to know around me." The memory of the time Miroslav kissed him after they had broken out of Auschwitz passes his mind.

Joan smiles in satisfaction. "See? You feel better!" 

But Thomas doesn't agree. "What if something happened to.. What if I'm the only one who made it?"

His voice is shaking, and Joan shakes her head. "You can't think like that! I've been working here for the last year, and you wouldn't believe the miracles that I've seen. You can't lose hope."

"What about you?"

"Me?"

"Yeah, I don't know anything about you, and you're my friend."

Jeanne nods. He has a point. "I grew up in France, and came here after Germany occupied the country. I decided to work in an hospital because I could help people. I have a husband, but he works abroad..."

"In the war?" 

"... Yeah, it's hard, but every letter I get makes me feel better."

Thomas agrees, "You will see him again."

"I know I will, thank you." 

He's grateful of having a friend here, or he would have probably gone mad by now.

 

"Why Germany? Isn't it dangerous for you?"

"Because I'm French?" She throws back. "It's the same everywhere, and my father was German, even if he died after the Great War. I never got to meet him. My mother is French, though." 

He's heard a similar story before. "Just like Miro, except Polish mother." 

Jeanne agrees, and checks on his leg. "I'm glad to inform you that you're allowed to walk now."

Five months had passed since Thomas had woken up from the bombs, and his leg was now healthy again, after a small step-back. This meant he could no longer stay at the hospital.

"Have you figured out where to start?"

"Start?" 

"You're gonna look for her, I mean."

Thomas had gotten used to Jeanne referring to Miro as a 'she'. He nodded and smiled whenever she asked questions, and he replied with the truth. 

"Of course." He says. 

"Where will you start?"

He hesitates. His first try would be München, regardless of the danger, but something tells Thomas he isn't going to be there. In fact, he has no idea where to look. 

"Why don't you start searching in shelters. Some families have been moves to villages nearby... Bremen, I'd start with Bremen."

"Why Bremen?"

"I heard a nurse saying it was the place with more refugees. It's your best shot." 

The man nods and Jeanne hesitates. "You don't have a place to stay the night, do you?"

 

Her house was a small one, near the docks, who had been rebuilt. He looks out the window. 

"Thanks for letting me crash for the night. I'll leave tomorrow first thing to Bremen."

"Don't mention it, I'm leaving as well."

"On a holiday?" 

Jeanne brings Thomas a small blanket for him to sleep on the couch. She nods.

"I'll be visiting my mother."

"Make sure to take a souvenir for her." Thomas jokes, and they both laugh on it for a moment.

She stands up "Excuse me." 

While she's gone, Thomas takes a look at her stuff. On the shelf, there's a picture of her with a man: probably her husband. They look happy and in love, the background reminds him of Chiemsee. Hopefully they'll have a life away from this horror once the war ends. 

Someday he and Miro will go back there. They'll build their house in the meadow. 

There's a picture of a baby, and an old woman. He notices a note under the picture. He grabs it. It's written in a beautiful handwriting in French, and it signs with the unusual words:

_Liberté, égalité, fraternité._

Unfortunately, he doesn't understand, as his French is minimal, but as he turns around, Jeanne is staring at him. She's looking at him as he has committed a crime. 

"What were you doing?"

There's something about her behaviour, Thomas spots. She's nervous, as if he had caught her doing something wrong. But he's done nothing but read that note... She's acting like..

"You're with the resistance, aren't you?"

Her nerves intensify, and she tries to deny it. 

"No I'm n-"

This is his chance, he looks down. "I'm part of it too. I never told you this, but I came to Hamburg to escape the Reich."

She's stunned, so Thomas continues.

"I was raised by a Nazi family, in München, where it all started. I even went to the Hitler youth, but wasn't what I wanted for me. I even worked at a camp, but then I knew Miro had been captured, so with my best friend Bastian, we went to look and we managed to break a prisoner out of that hell. We've been on the run ever since..."

"She's a Jew?" 

Thomas shakes his head. "Polish, anything is enough for those animals." 

Jeanne sits down, taking in everything she's just heard. "I can't believe it."

"We are wanted criminals, but my name is quite a common name, which is probably why I haven't been recognized. I hid Bastian's identity, because his isn't as common. Schweinsteiger."

"I came to Hamburg to spy on the Germans. They would never suspect me... Because of my father, he may have passed away, but his name is still respected. I.. I."

"I'll be honest, I don't speak French." 

"What? Then how did you know?"

"You were hiding something."

She explains "Liberté, égalité, fraternité are the pillars of our republic. It comes from the revolution. When Germany occupied our country, the government of Vichy installed a new motto: Travail, famille, patrie, which is rubbish."

"French resistance it is then."

"My husband leads a group in France, and I'm to meet him in a couple of days. They have a plan, but it's top secret. We're waiting for the British resistance for orders. There's this huge secret operation that's going to be launched, later this year... April or May, and we need to help them." 

"Operation?"

"Yes, Churchill is planning to liberate France. We can help, we'll have to wait and see what they have for us to sabotage German troops..."

"Can I go with you?"

The question had been expected by Jeanne. She immediately denies. "No."

"But I'm resistance too, maybe they've heard about my friends. I can help, Lukas taught me a lot!"

"They're the French resistance, you were with the Polish one, and  they would never forgive me. We had an oath." 

Thomas sighs. 

"You have more important matters too... You still have to look for Miro. I'm sure she's waiting for you. "

Thomas thinks of Miroslav, and how it feels to be in his arms. He's longs for him for so long. 

"Bremen..." He says, and after an awkward silence asks. "Um, I really hate to ask this... but do you have some money? Just for the train ticket."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Liberté, égalité, fraternité = liberty, equality, fraternity  
> Travail, famille, patrie = work, family, fatherland
> 
> Again, thank you all for reading :D


	21. Einundzwanzig

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miroslav and Bastian go to France to help the resistance, while some surprises lay there.

"Change of plans." Bastian announces. 

"What?" Miro puts his gun down, surprised. 

The pair are in the underground, a few hours from flying to France with an armed escort. 

"I'm going with your group. Mine left two nights ago and didn't bother letting me know."

"I'm glad!" Miro admits, his eyebrow raising. Bastian shakes his head showing his annoyance, just to Miro's amusement. He lets out a little laugh. Ever since he joined the SOE, Bastian has noticed his life has taken meaning again. It's like he found something to fight for. He was a legend in the group speaking German, Polish, English and a bit of French. 

 

They get on the flying object, and Miroslav notices Bastian's heavy breathing.

"You okay?"

"Uh, just.. I'm scared of heights."

"Really?" Miroslav is surprised Bastian is ever scared of anything. "Close your eyes and breathe." 

Bastian follows his advice.

"I'm scared for Lukas." He admits.

The plane is taking off, and it makes it hard for Miroslav to understand what he's saying. 

"Because of the attack?" 

"He's skilled bu-" 

"The invasion isn't till June though, don't worry, we have time. We'll come back before." Miroslav shouts. 

Bastian nods. 

 

"Who are we supposed to meet?" Miroslav asks, and their leader Jack replies. He's a tall strong Englishman ready to liberate France.  

"An old friend, Olivier Giroud. With the maps Lewandowski handed to the government from the British embassy in Warsaw, we were able to track him down."

Bastian smiles. "Satan doing his work alright." 

They walk near a small house, and ring the bell. A man opens the door, and he recognizes Jack at once.

"Jack Wilshere! Come right in!"

The group enter and sit down. 

"They have no idea?"

"No, they think we wont attack until fall." Olivier cheers. "Besides, the Soviets are destroying them in the East. Hitler's focusing on eliminating the Jews. There's terrible rumours about what they do to them." 

Bastian and Miro give each other a look.

"It's true," Jack continues. "We need the URSS to get to those camps as fast as possible. They're already marching towards the Reich. It's a matter of time."

"Very well, here's the plan..." Jack starts, and Miroslav strays from the group. He remembers Auschwitz as if it was yesterday and isn't too keen to listen to it. He goes into the kitchen, only to find a woman, who jumps when she notices his presence. 

"Oh my, you scared me."

"I'm sorry, Mme..." 

"Mme Giroud, Jeanne Giroud." 

"A pleasure to meet you."

She nods and smiles through her cup. 

Miroslav tries to find a conversation topic. "I hope the war hasn't been too hard on your family, it has already been awful to France." 

"I actually work in Germany, Hamburg." 

Hamburg. The place makes Miroslav's heart drop. They hadn't mentioned the place where it happened ever since. She seems to catch.

"Are you okay?"

"It's nothing," He lies. "I was just there for the bombings, and..." He thinks about Thomas, but he's unable to say anything about him. 

"I understand. We all lost a lot that week." She agrees, with a sad look. "I fear losing Ollie all the time, being so far away."

Miro tries to shake away the lump in his throat. "Enjoy your moments together,"

Everything that reminds him of Thomas makes him nostalgic, but then it's ironic, because _everything_ reminds him of Thomas. 

"What was their name?" She tries, knowing she has touched a weak point.

Miroslav takes a deep breath.

"Thomas." 

They're interrupted by Bastian, who comes in the kitchen looking for his friend. He sees them.

"Miro, we're leaving." 

"Excuse me," She nods. 

The Pole follows his friend without hesitation, and leaves Jeanne in her thoughts. Thomas? Miro?

It couldn't possibly be the same Thomas she helped for the past months, but the name, it was the same name. Except Thomas' Miro was a woman, his wife. And she had to be in Germany.

It was just a coincidence. She follows the men out. 

"We need a rail road map, we're going to go get one at the local bar."

Her husband smiles and puts his arm around her. "Want to join us darling?"

"Of course," She smiles.

 

"So how did you find us?" Olivier asks, with a bottle in his hands. He serves a glass of wine to his wife, who thanks him.

"Thanks to Polish resistance leader 'Satan', can you believe he actually broke in Warsaw's British embassy and stole a bunch of documents?" 

"Crazy Poles."

"Yeah, we are!" Miroslav laughs.

Jack is curious, he turns to Miro and asks. "So how did you end up in the British secret resistance?" 

"Well, I, It's a long story... I used to travel a lot to Germany, during summers. And then the war broke through and Warsaw got bombed, so me and my family survived, until..." 

He stops, remembering what happened next.

"Then, he got taken to Auschwitz." Bastian continues, knowing how hard it is. The table freezes, no one had been expecting so much. 

Olivier breaks the silence. "You've been to a camp?" 

Miroslav nods, staring at his glass. Jack continues. "But you're here now, you escaped?"

"That would be thanks to Bastian and..." Miroslav tries, but the mention of Thomas is again, bordering impossible. But Basti understands, he continues.

"Thomas, our best friend. We were both Nazi-Born and raised, but we never shared their ideas or movements. Thomas and Miroslav basically grew up together meeting up each summer, and when Thomas heard that Miro had been taken captive, we were transfered there. We found him, dressed him up as a prisoner, stole a car, drove away and hoped for the best."

"That's amazing." Olivier is shocked. "You two are heroes."

Miroslav nods. "I wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for them." He gives Bastian a warm look, which he catches.

"What about the other boy?" Jack asks. "Thomas?"

Bastian sighs. "Thomas died about a while ago, in an air-raid, in Germany." 

There's a silence. Jack is taken aback. 

"We're sorry for your loss." 

"Thomas Müller?" Jeanne starts. The pair hadn't noticed the woman had been paying attention to their story far more cautiously than the others. Her tone isn't of compassion, or regret. She's almost shouting. 

"What?" Bastian is confused.

"Thomas Müller! Was that his name?"

Bastian turns to Miroslav in confusion. The woman continues. 

"He's alive, he's alive, I treated him, at the hospital, that's where I work! He's with the resistance too! And you're Schweinsteiger, aren't you?"

Everyone in the table is staring at her, and she's looking directly at Bastian.

"What?" He manages to repeat.

"He didn't remember what happened, all he remembers is a church, Typhus..."

"Dresden's church." 

"And Miro."

Her sight moves to the Pole. She turns to the rest of the group. "Please excuse us." 

Olivier nods, "We'll wait for the map, you go in the back." 

 

Jeanne gets up with Bastian and Miroslav follows them, not able to say a single word. They sit at another table. 

"He told me about how your broke Miro out of the camp. And about the summers, near a lake, right? I've been with him until I came here."

"Are you sure?" Bastian asks, desperate. 

"He has curly blond hair, and blue, no, green eyes. Well, I'm not sure, but he's tall, and thin as a stick."

Bastian nods, and a smile crosses his face. "That's.. That's... where is he now?" 

"I sent him to Bremen, I heard most refugees are there... But... There's something off." She admits. "He has a wife."

Bastian's mouth drops. "Wife?" 

Miroslav raises an eyebrow, but before he can say anything, she turns to the Pole. "And... her name was Miro." 

He blushes, and awkwardly shakes his head. "Wife?" 

"There isn't another Miro, is there?"

Jeanne raises an eyebrow and looks at Miroslav, who's as red as a tomato. 

Bastian tries to draw her attention. "His memory must have been ... faulty. They were, after all, pretty close."

"Well, ever since he woke up, he kept muttering her name.. your name." She hesitates. "He forgot about pretty much everything, but he never forgot about you."

Miroslav feels something that he hadn't felt since that night in Hamburg. Hope.

"Uh, ..." Jeanne realises. "We need to find him." 

 

"Bremen?"

The next morning, the team is getting ready to leave. With the exciting news, it's like Miro was reborn. Thomas was alive. He was alive. 

"That's where she sent him to look for his _wife_." Miro explains.

Bastian laughs. "I swear I thought I knew him, but wife? That's a whole new level. Thomas is so lost in you he couldn't hide he was in love." 

Miroslav rolls his eyes giving in to a smile. 

Jack calls them back. 

"We're going back to England, let's go. Hurry up!"

Bastian turns to Miroslav who's shaking his head. "I need to find him."

Bastian hesitates. "I have to go find Lukas before the invasion begins."

"You wont be coming with us?" Jeanne replies, disappointed. 

"I'm sorry. When you see Thomas, tell him he's an ass for not running faster."

Miroslav has tears in his eyes, and the pair hug for a moment. 

"Tell everyone when you get home."

Basti winks. "I will."  

 

"So, what happened in Hamburg?" Jeanne finally breaks the ice in their train cabin.

Miro puts down his newspaper. "He really doesn't remember?" She shakes her head.

"We were trying to escape Nazi Germany, we were staying at a friends house when the first bombs fell. We were going to get out on a ship to Sweden, but Thomas... he went back for a child. And before he could make it to the rest of us, a car exploded between us. We saw how... well, how it blasted. A friend carried me, because... I couldn't.."

"You'll be glad to know the child was saved, he was taken to another hospital, with minor burns. Thomas saved his life." 

Miroslav smiles. "He has a tendency to do so." A thought crosses his mind. "Was he injured?"

"His leg, it was broken, but it's healed now. He's strong." Jeanne continues the story. "He's been worried about you... He knew, he knew you wouldn't leave willingly. I've watched him staring out the hospital window waiting for a familiar face, for your face." 

He could tell her how he's been suffering without him for the past six months, but it's not important. What matters is that he'll have him in his arms again. It'll be June soon, 

"Thank you." He replies. "For taking care of him."

She smiles. "No problem, you should get some sleep. We'll be there by morning."

 

Nazi Germany again, Miro breathes an uneasy air. He follows the woman through the crowd. Bremen is a busy city and Thomas is nowhere to be seen. It's easier said than done to find someone in such a huge sea of people.

"We've tried the biggest shelters, no one remembers him."

"I don't think they care enough to even try." Miro points out.

She sighs. "I'm so sorry." 

"We can't give up." 

They're sitting in a park, surrounded by Nazi flags. When Miro looks up, he notices a man with a swastiska on his arm looking straight at him and Jeanne. 

"Uh," He tries to make her notice, but the man starts walking towards them. "Jea-Jeanne."

When she turns to the man, he's too close for them to run. He looks at Miroslav, and in a strict voice adds.

"Names and documents, please."

Jeanne knows Miroslav doesn't have any of those, so instead she uses the card she's used so far during the war.

"I am Jeanne Hoffman, daughter of Mr. Jürgen Hoffman, and if you don't know who that is I suggest you ask your boss at the office to educate yourself."   

The man is surprised and immediately apologizes. "I'm sorry, it's only my job to check everyone. Have a nice day."

After he's taken a few steps, Miro nods. 

"Impressive."

"My dad was a war hero. I bet even Hitler respects him, if he's capable of any respect." 

Miroslav shakes his head. She adds.

"Let's go, there has to be somewhere we haven't checked."

 

* * *

 

Robert stands with Lukas, they're both ready to board the ships. This is the day. It's the day they go free France.

"Nervous?" 

"A little." Lukas admits. "I've never been in an actual battle before."

"We'll be fine." 

Holger arrives from the door, and the pair can tell he's nervous as well. "You two better come back."

"Wait, what about Wojciech?" Lukas notices when Holger is alone. 

Robert looks down. "He's got a fever. Certainly not fit to travel and less to battle. But it's better this way." 

Holger smiles. "You have a reason to come back." 

The Pole nods. 

Lukas turns to the doctor. "Any news on Miro and Basti?" 

"They should have come back yesterday, but I'm sure they're just delayed." 

"Where's Marco?" Robert notices.

"Fighting with the British next to Aaron."

Lukas and Robert were going to attack with the Polish Forces. They had both agreed on it since they had joined the army. Holger notices the signals.

"It's time." 

Before they leave, Lukas turns to Holger. "Bastian should have gotten here, but... when he does arrive, tell him.... I love him." 

Holger nods, "Of course." 

"Thank you." 

The pair leave Holger. He can only hope for the best outcome. After taking care of Woj, he decides to go buy some bread. 

The streets of London are quiet, as they are when the alarms aren't going off. At this moment, it doesn't seem as they've been through hell. He's lost Thomas, Philipp is far away, his parents, and now maybe Lukas, Robert and Marco. 

A couple of men stop him at the door before he walks in. 

"We're looking for Bastian Schweinsteiger. Does he still live here?"

"Who asks?" He suspiciously replies. 

"We've been informed that the aircraft with the team he had flown to France has gone missing. The entire team has also not been located."

"What?"

"We're sorry." 

Holger feels his heart drop. Not only Lukas, Robert, Marco were gone, but now Miroslav and Bastian joined the crew. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all for reading so much <3 :D


	22. Zweiundzwanzig

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> D Day comes, and so does the beginning of the third Reich's end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really want to talk you all so much for reading and taking the time to comment *hugs you all*

Woj wakes up, in the middle of the night, sweating. It's an understatement, he's soaked in it. He feels the fever has lowered. He goes outside of the room to find Holger sleeping peacefully. He takes a look at the time, 1:32 AM. His stomach shifts. Robert will be fighting soon, if not already. 

He remembers his figure above him whispering some words.

"I will come back, I will come back for you." 

He has to believe in him, like he's always done. But he's worried, like he's always been. He sits down and turns on the radio, low enough not to wake Holger up, but there's nothing on the subject.

Nothing at all. 

He has absolutely nothing to do but wait. 

* * *

"We need to take Caen as soon as we land."

Their officer commands in a tone that startles them both. 

"We'll be the tenth wave, so remember the objective!"

Lukas is feeling unrested. The boat shakes softly, and it makes him sick. It's ironic, he's never had problems with sea-sickness before. Robert hasn't said a word, he's looking at the horizon, waiting for France to show, Lukas guesses. Suddenly, they hear it: the sound of war. 

Land appears, and with that, Lukas' sickness fades in an instant. "Positions!"

He and Robert move to the side of the boat, as they were taught, if the boat flipped over, it would be the best place to be. His breath accelerates, only to hear Robert's voice.

"Calm down, we're gonna make it."

Lukas watches the ongoing slaughter on the beach, the mortars hitting the ground in union with shells and gunshots. Their boat hits a sandbar, and it stops. Robert raises his head, and figures there must be at least 100 yards from the shore. A man has gone to the same conclusion, and yells.

"Keep moving!"

"I can't!" He screams. 

"Lower the ramp! Or we're as good as dead!" Robert shouts back. He doesn't want to play sitting ducks waiting for the Germans to hit them. The ramp is down, and the men start to unload the boat. Lukas watches how the first one gets shot, the second one manages to set foot on the beach, but blows up in front of them.

"Careful, they have mines!" A voice shouts, and the soldiers keep walking. The weather is cold, extremely cold considering it was June, and Lukas and Robert are in the water, going in for the guns. Bodies floating everywhere, and Robert manages to shout at Lukas.

"Come on Lukas! Hurry!"

As they move closer, the water level lowers, allowing them to run with their equipment on. A Sargent on the beach is leading the way, and Robert figures it's where some soldiers have already activated the mines, so it's safe for others. About 10 yards from the seaway, Robert feels a bullet through his left leg, and stumbles to the ground. He falls, letting his rifle fall about ten feet in front of him. Damn it. He can't loose his rifle. Without it, he's as good as dead. He forces himself and crawls towards it crying from the pain. 

He hears Lukas' voice. "What are you doing? Get up! Run!" He says, as soon as Robert gets a grip on his weapon. The man looks for Lukas, and notices he's hiding inside a mortar hole, shooting at the enemy. 

"I can't." Robert confesses, his voice weakening, and Lukas' eyes widen. He hops close to him and takes a look at the leg.

"Come on."

Robert can feel a grip on him and Lukas is dragging him under heavy rifle and mortar fire back to the cover of the wall. 

There's a medic there, and Robert points to his leg. The pain is indescribable, and the man gives him a shot of morphine directly in the leg. Lukas puts a hand on Robert's shoulder. 

"We're going to go up the cliffs, okay? Can you walk?"

The pain has been silenced for the moment, and Robert nods. He knows his leg is just dormant, but he needs to keep moving, or he'll die. Led by a sergeant, a group of men including Lukas and Robert crawl up the rocky mountain. The Pole turns back to watch the fact that the beach is getting emptier. Where is everyone? Had the invasion been called off? It had been a nice try, yet nothing but a try. 

Trenches. Empty trenches. Lukas pulls Robert and miraculously manage to jump inside along with some other soldiers.

"Where are our reinforcements?" A soldier asks, and Lukas notices that Robert is losing consciousness. "Stay with me." He tells him. About that moment, a man jumps inside the trench and joins them. 

"I'm colonel Edwards, from the 29th Infantry Division." He starts. "Relax boys, you're going to be okay. The guns have been destroyed, most of them, anyway."

Lukas gives a confused look. "How?" 

"You've done your job, I'd wait for your friend here to get medical help, or he wont last long." 

Robert has passed out, and Lukas has got his grip on him. He nods. 

* * *

Bastian sighs, the plane that was carrying their squad back to England had been spotted, and forced to land, under enemy fire. Jack had taken him under his wing and the pair had figured out they needed to sail across. They were in northern France, fortunately, and crossing over was all they needed to do. 

"Maybe we should camp here for the night." He tells Jack, who agrees. They're in a dark tall forest near a small town called Caen. Bastian wonders if Lukas is doing okay. He must be chattering with Marco and Robert about how this war is about to end. 

Always Lukas.

"Got a girl back home?" A man asks. And Bastian shakes his head, with a smile twisted in his lips. He's got someone so much better, he thinks. He drifts off to sleep thinking of Lukas, his eyes, his smile. It's a nice thought. 

It's the shot of cannon fire and aircraft that wakes them up. Jack tells the group to pull back, with caution.

"What's going on?"  

"Is it allied or German?" 

"We don't know!"

Jack turns to Bastian. "Come with me."

The pair leave the group with orders to attack anyone on sight, and the pair walk through the forest, arriving to a small road. 

"Is it the invasion?" 

Jack nods, and points in the direction of what Bastian hadn't noticed. German units packing equipment into trucks and leaving the area. 

"Do you know where it is?" 

"Just that it's supposed to be the beaches of Normandy."  He nods. "We need to find shelter, they're going to bomb everywhere."

"Where?"

"Caen, we need to get there." 

Bastian follows his commander and can't help but wonder where Lukas is at the moment. 

* * *

 

_Here is the eight o'clock news for today, Tuesday, the sixth of June:_

_Supreme allied Headquarters have issued an urgent warning to inhabitants of the enemy-occupied countries living near the coast. The warning said that a new phase in the allied Air Offensive had begun. Shortly before this warning the Germans reported that Havre, Calais and Dunkirk were being heavily bombarded and that German naval units were engaged with Allied landing craft._

Holger listens closely to the words.

_'D' Day has come. Early this morning the Allies began the assault on the north-western face of Hitler's European Fortress. It was announced that General Montgomery is in Command of the Army Group carrying out the assault. This Amry Group includes British, Canadian and United States Forces. The tide has turned. The free men of the world are marching together to victory. I have full confidence in courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory. Good luck, and let us all beseech the Blessing of Almighty God upon this grat and noble undertaking."_

He notices Woj creeping from the door, the radio is loud enough for them both.

_No details have yet come in from the Allied side of the progess of the operatins. Our correspondent at SHAEF says that the landings are being made in Normandy. The points extend from Cherbourg to Havre, with the main weight of the attack in the area of Caen, which is some thirty miles west of Havre as the bomber flies._

Woj shakes his head. "I need to know more." 

"They'll keep us updated. Robert will be fine." He tries. 

* * *

Failure. Bremen couldn't be described by a better word, or so Miro thinks. After a couple of weeks of looking, they're returning to Hamburg in train, hoping Thomas had come back to the hospital Jeanne once took care of him. Miroslav shakes the awful memories he had here, and focus on the patients from the hospital. There's a man who's missing a leg, and he's playing an harmonica. Jeanne is asking her co-workers about Thomas.

"You're not from here." The man tells him, when he notices Miro is staring at him. 

The Pole decides to sit next to him, on an empty chair. 

"You've got that look in your eyes. Like you've seen death and beyond." He coughs. Miroslav guesses he must be at least 60 years old. The man continues. "You've lost someone dear to you, haven't you?"

Miro unwillingly nods.

"May I play something for you?"

Miro mouthes a yes, and he's listening to the man playing his sweet melodies. The music surrounds the room full of people besides them. He forgets about everything for a moment, about the war, the bombs, the lack of Thomas. It's just the music going through his body. 

A hand on his shoulder brings him back. It's Jeanne, and she has a urgent look on her face.

The man smiles. "It's called _Hope changes everything._ " 

"Thank you." And he means it. 

She brings him to a quiet room, away from the patients and the nurses. 

"Thomas?" He asks, but only to sigh when she shakes her head.

"Something else, I've gotten note from the resistance. They've attacked! The allies! The invasion! It's started. They managed to hold the beaches, and now they march on to Caen, a city near the coast!" 

Miro can't believe it. It's happening. The fight of the west for the liberation of Europe has started. 

"But.. About Thomas, I'm so sorry. The nurses haven't seen him. I don't know what else to do." 

Miroslav understands. The light of hope is slowly fading away, and he feels his heart drop. He has nothing to do but go back, but go back where? How to go back to England in the middle of bombs, shells and mortars? He has no where to go. He realises he had no real plan, the only thing that mattered was to find Thomas. 

"I'll walk you home." He sighs.

 

Each step Miroslav takes, it feels heavier. He's alone. Jeanne has been babbling the entire road. 

"Stay safe, remember to stay away from major roads, those are usually filled with officers looking to arrest anyone they can."

"Thank you."

They arrive to the door step, lost between the streets of Hamburg, and Jeanne offers him a hug.

"It was nice to meet you." She adds, and he nods. "Likewise."

"You will find Thomas, he's got the spirit of a lion. He's alive. When two people are meant to be together, they always find each other."

 _Hope is everything._ The words echo in his head. It's as if the old man knew. He nods quietly and turns around. He wont give up on Thomas. 

 

She watches him walk away, and sighs. She wishes she could have done so much more. The keys turn as usual and she walks inside. She hadn't noticed how thirsty she was, so the first thing she does is drop her purse and move to the kitchen for a glass of water. 

When she pulls out the glass, she notices something unusual, the sink is wet. She hasn't been home for days. Why is it wet?

There must be someone inside. She leaves the glass and walks to her purse and pulls out the small gun she has been carrying. She can feel eyes burn into her as her back is turned. She feels a little tightening in her chest caused by the uncertainty and anxiety of a Nazi officer discovering her. 

They know about Olivier. They know everything. The grip on her gun tightens. 

Suddenly, the closet door moves and she points directly at it.

"Show yourself!" She cries. 

"It's me! Don't shoot!"

That voice. She lowers the weapon at the words. 

"Thomas?" Her tone is as sceptical as he's ever heard it, and the blond stumbles from the closet and falls straight on the floor. "What on earth?" 

"I didn't find anything at Bremen, so I came back here, you're my only friend in Germany right now. And the window was unlocked, so I slipped in."

She was very careful, it wasn't like her to leave the window like that, with her being in the resistance. She shakes her head. 

"Are you sure?" She asks, taking a look at it. "How long have you been here?"

"Not long, three days maybe. I took some food too, hope you don't mind.."

Jeanne raises an eyebrow to the man, who sits on the couch.

"I didn't find Miro." he pouts. "I don't know where to look or if he's... she's still alive." 

"Miroslav!"

Thomas jumps at the full name he's never mentioned. "Miroslav?" He tries to repeat as Jeanne immediately storms off the house leaving the door open.

"What?" He gets up and catches her run off the street.

"Your wife!" She shouts, rushing down the narrow road.

 

He mustn't be far, he was, after all, just walking. Jeanne looks around, for the brown haired man. "Miro!" She shouts, before she sprints again and crashed into a couple of people she had missed. She stumbles to the ground. 

"Ugh." She whimpers.

"Jeanne?" She raises her head to find Thomas. He's got the most confused look she's ever seen on him. He helps her get up. "What's going on?" 

"It's.. It's..." She's out of breath from all the running, but he has the right to know. She notices Thomas' attention is taken by something behind her, and he doesn't wait for her reply, he's already moving towards it.

Jeanne turns around and spots what Thomas obviously has. It's the brown haired Pole. He's sitting down on a bench, completely lost in thought.  

Thomas can't believe his eyes, he wants to shout, but he's lost at words. Nothing could describe how much he's missed him, how much he's needed him. He's being typical Miroslav, simply staring with those flawless blue eyes at the sky. 

The young man takes a step closer to him. He still hasn't noticed him, between the small busy crowd, somehow, Thomas can't see them anymore. There's only Miro. 

He stops in front of him, and the man lazily turns his restful eyes from the sky to his face. His eyes sparkle at his sight, and Thomas could swear Miro isn't breathing for that instant. 

They're simply staring at each other, without saying a word, until a tear drops on Miro's cheek. Next thing Thomas is able to process, he's in Miro's arms as tight as he's ever been. 

For a moment, it's only the two of them in each other's arms. No asking questions, not doing anything, simply holding each other. When Thomas pulls away, Miro's hands cup his cheeks, showing the rest of the tears in his eyes. But he's smiling, he's smiling as wide as he can. 

 

Invited back into Jeanne's house, the woman sits on the chair across the couch, where Miroslav and Thomas are sitting, looking apologetic.

"So... your wife?" 

Thomas' blush is incredible, and Miroslav smiles. 

"You assumed Miro was my wife." He says in his defense. 

"You could have said someth-" Jeanne can't even finish her sentence before she's rolling her eyes. "I'm going to go check a few things upstairs."

As soon as she's upstairs, Miroslav turns to Thomas and drops a soft kiss on his cheek. The Bavarian's cheeks flusher. 

"How's Basti, Lukas? And the others?"

"Bastian is probably in England right now, and Lukas, Robert, Wojciech and Marco are all in the invasion."

"Invasion?"

"They're liberating France, and after, they'll liberate Germany." 

Thomas is surprised, and Miroslav moves a bit closer to him, enough for them to feel each others breath. 

"And Holger?"

"England as well." He takes the opportunity to attack Thomas' lips, who smiles. Their hands wrap each other automatically and after a couple of minutes of them enjoying each other, Miro whispers, through his breath. 

"I can't believe it."  

Thomas smiles, "What?" 

"You're really here, I'm not dreaming." 

Thomas pulls away, and gives him a confused look. "Miro?"

The Pole sits back, and his hand travels to his hair. 

"A bomb exploded while we were running away from it all. I.. I watched how it went off right in front of you, and you didn't... you.."

Thomas watches how Miro's voice trails off, but then continues. "I didn't know what to do, I was paralysed. Robert carried me to the ship, and I passed out. We set sail for Sweden."

The Bavarian takes time to process the information, he had been thought for dead. It explains why no one was looking for him. And Miro... Oh Miro. He jumps on him and drops a kiss on his forehead. 

"I'm alive, don't worry." 

The Pole pulls his head down on to his chest, and buries it there. He can feel Thomas' heartbeat rise considerably. 

"You okay?" He asks. Thomas nods, and Miro notices that now, he's the one who's tearing up. His finger wipes softly a tear from his cheeks. "I love you." He whispers. "kocham Cię."

Thomas replies with another kiss, but this time they're forced to break apart because of the ring at the door. Jeanne rushes and looks through the window. 

"Who is it?" Miroslav gets up. 

"Get in the closet, the both of you. Now." She coldly says. 

"What?"

There's no time, because Jeanne is already pushing them both. The closet is really small, and it forces them be right next to each other. Not that Thomas minds, he's resting his head against his shoulder. They're both able to listen to what's going on.

"Hello Miss, I'm sorry. So sorry for interrupting."

"It's fine." She replies quietly, and Miroslav manages to have a cut vision through a crack on the wall. He swallows at the swastika. "What's the matter Mr."

"Mr. Kohn. You reported missing work to uh, visit a relative, is that correct?"

"Yes, I did. I visited my mother." Jeanne lies, but she knows something is wrong. 

"You mother passed away 2 months ago." 

The SS has no soft tone, and the pair can hear Jeanne's squeak of surprise. 

"You look suprised, traitor."

"I'm no traitor." She defensively cuts in.

"You are to be questioned and interrogated at once. You must be in Berlin by next week, do you understand?"

Jeanne nods, and the SS takes a step closer.

"They'll have you shot for this betrayal."

"I have only served my country."

Miro watches how the officer leaves the house, leaving Jeanne.

Thomas opens the door and him and Miro stand behind.

"You're not... actually going to go... are you?" Thomas dares.

"I have to. They've been in here, that window wasn't open by coincidence. If I don't go, they'll go find Olivier." 

Miroslav sighs, and Thomas looks around, and determined adds.

"Then we're going with you."


	23. Dreiundzwanzig

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The war rages on..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i keep delaying and stuff but thank you all for reading <3

Berlin. The heart of the Reich. Thomas had been here once when he was young. His father had taken him to an important meeting as an introduction to the real world. He thanked his charismatic skills, as they managed to convince the officers he and his friend weren't threats to Germany when asked for their papers to get on the train, as officers these days seem to be more worried about rounding up the last Jews left. 

He guesses it helps no enemy of the Reich in his right mind would travel to Berlin. 

His hand is resting intertwined in Miro's. His fingers are soft, he thinks. They're travelling in a cabin and both Jeanne and Miro are asleep. The moment Miro had rested his head against Thomas' shoulder, the Bavarian had done the same in response. Miro's breath is as calm as he'd remembered it. It feels so good to be this close to him again.  "I love you.." He mumbles, fully aware that he's not listening: He just wants to say it as much as he can. However, the Pole is still full of surprises, because his head tilts a bit and Thomas can see the sleepy smile on his face whispering:

"I love you too." 

 

"Here's the address where I'll be... uh.. interrogated." Jeanne hands a paper. "Try to stay low.. I'm sure I can find my way out of this one, just... I'll find you, okay?" 

Thomas nods. "We'll be around." 

After she's gone, Miro hands Thomas a piece of bread with some cheese. He's surprised. 

"Where did you get this?" 

"I changed some junk I brought from England with me." 

Thomas smiles and swallows the food without hesitation. Miro tells him to follow him, as they spot a band of teenagers wearing the swastika, most likely being Hitler youth fanatics. 

 

They find the remains of what seems to once be a fully functional building, only abandoned. Maybe a grenade went off or something. Together, they find some burnt wood and sit for a moment. They start a cosy fire between them. Even if it's just for a moment, they should be safe here for a while from unwanted visitors.

"I can't wait until the Americans kill Hitler."

Miro's eyes look up to Thomas. His gaze is on the fire. They're sitting across from each other as the Bavarian continues. 

"Do you think... the others are doing okay? I hope Jeanne is alright."

"They're skilled survivors. I'm sure they've managed to keep themselves safe..." 

"I'm glad you are... safe." 

He hadn't noticed Thomas had moved closer to him. The Pole smiles, and after sharing a tender look, nods. "I'm glad you're doing okay too-"

"I'm more than okay..." 

Thomas doesn't hesitate to jump on him for an embrace leading to Miro losing his balance, falling on his back. He opens his eyes to Thomas on top of him.The position they're in makes him blush slightly.

"Um... what are you.."

But Thomas takes fully advantage of it and doesn't even let him finish, he's already kissing him. His hands accompany him, and brush his chest. It's not long before Thomas has reached the collarbone, and Miro can't control the quiet moan that comes out involuntary from his mouth. 

"Thomas--" He whispers. 

The younger man takes a moment to breathe, realising Miroslav is also panting. They share a gaze for a moment, in the quiet of the night. Miro gives in to a smile as he rakes his hands through his hair. Thomas closes his eyes, and smiles back. He's feeling blissfully, and can't help but lean down again for his lips to touch his again. It would have been the perfect moment, if it weren't for the loud and disturbing siren bursting between them. 

They both know what that means, they've lived through it before. They get up without hesitation, they need to get out. Bombs are coming. 

This time, however, Miroslav grabs Thomas' wrist and tells him three simple words.

"Don't let go." 

Thomas nods, as they get out of their shelter rushing and desperate for a safe house. They're not even one block away when they see the first airplane fly above them and the explosion following it in front of them. 

"Ah!" Thomas yells, but even with the blasts, Miro's grip on him is as firm as ever. It may not be as bad as Hamburg, but Thomas feels his heartbeat rising. He hears Miro say something about using another type of bomb but he's not sure.

"To the Hockbunker!" A man yells, and the pair catch a crowd moving towards a street. They follow, trying to ignore the blasts from the bombs and they see it. A large concrete tower in the middle of panic and chaos offering shelter to civilians. 

They follow a nice family, who seems to know the guards, and let them through without any questions. There's a lot of people in here and they can hear the bombs outside, raging over the already partially destroyed ruins of the capital. 

"When will they leave us alone?" A woman cries. 

"Damn Soviets!" Another adds.

Miro notices Thomas is breathing unusually fast, and he's shaking. He takes him calmly to a corner, where people are too busy being scared to even notice them. He sits him down on the floor against the wall, and puts a hand on his heart.

"Hey, focus on me.."

Thomas' eyes are on the floor.

"Try taking deep breaths, we're safe, we're going to be ok-"

Miro's last words are lost in the sounds of an explosion that must have been nearby. Thomas tries to talk, but he's trembling. "How- How- How did- you kn-"

"Shhhh" He places his hand on his hair and tries to soothe him. "It's going to be fine." He repeats. 

The bombs rage outside, and there isn't any difference in Thomas' shivering. Miro tries again.

"Do you remember Chiemsee? The green grass... the blue sky, us playing football without a care in the world." 

"But-"

"No buts, tell me what you see. I see the day I slipped on the grass because it had rained all night. You couldn't stop laughing."

"That.. That was funny." Thomas admits. "How about the time you jumped in the water after I asked you to be friends forever? Or the time.." 

Miro relaxes, as he notices Thomas' heartbeat dropping to his normal rate again. For now, they were safe. As Thomas keeps on babbling about their past, Miro sits next to him. 

* * *

"Wake up, wake up, wake up!" 

Robert is shaken awake by a concerned Lukas. He's too weak to pronounce a word, so he simply acknowledges he's listening by nodding. 

"Thank god you're awake. I was afraid I wouldn't have the chance to talk to you before..." 

The man wraps his arms around him and pulls him up. Robert looks around. "Where are we?"

"We've been kept behind as the mayor forces march through the woods. The plan to take Caen in a day has been a complete failure. But hey, we're alive, aren't we?"

"Barely."

"You're going to be sent back to England." 

Robert's blue eyes widen. "What?" 

"Robert..."

"I can't give up on you guys! There's no way I'm going home!" The Pole struggles to talk, his throat is dry. 

"Ro-"

"You can't make me leav-"

"You're the one who can't fight like this! You got shot in the leg! You're as good as dead out there."

Robert shakes his head. "I'm-I'm fine."

Lukas shakes it back. "I'm sorry. It's not even up to me. You're going back tomorrow morning."

The Pole sighs deeply and rests his head back. 

"Think of Woj... Oh, one thing though. If you see Bastian, tell him I... Tell him I will see him again."

Robert can't even reply, as their commanding officer is already telling the soldiers to move out. Lukas waves goodbye with a bright smile, as if he's not going back to hell. It's ironic, or so Robert thinks. 

A word stuck with him from Lukas' words, however. 

"I'm going home to you, Woj." He whispers, as his eyes close on themselves. 

* * *

It's far lonelier to be here alone, Lukas realises, after a few weeks of being here. They're passing through the small French roads in tanks, and Lukas longs for the day where all of this is over. 

"Enemy sighted!"

Gunshots, and after they're done he sighs deeply. He hates it here. The tank does its job, and the soldiers fall to the ground. Another death to the pile of murders this war has brought upon them. How many will have perished? How many deaths for nothing?

"It's an ambush!" 

Lukas turns to find German soldiers coming from behind. The ones the tank had killed were merely a distraction. A trap they had walked right into. He's one of the lucky ones though, he manages to jump to the grass and hurry to the woods undetected, as his fellow men fall to hands of the Germans. Damn it.

The man pants, as he thinks he has outrun them. He's on his own for now, with only instinct to survive. More shots, he throws himself to the ground, begging for cover. 

More than anything, though, Lukas finds himself terrified. He wonders if this is when he goes. Maybe if he waits until nightfall, he can have a better chance to slip away under their noses. 

What if he doesn't see Bastian ever again? 

"Basti..." He feels a drop fall on his cheek, but quickly wipes it with his dirty hands. "Damn it." He curses, panting as he hears the gunshots kill his fellow comrades.  

Nightfall finally arrives, and Lukas finally gathers the will to move, he takes a few steps to the east, taking cover of his every move. It's the main reason he jumps when he hears some shots from across the path he's planning on passing.

Germans. He grumbles as he takes a few steps back, begging that they don't see him. But when he hears an English voice talking, he relaxes. 

"Come on, the allies can't be too far." 

"Will they let us go home?" Another voice starts, but it's the third one that makes Lukas react.

"We're not trained soldiers, after all." 

It's English with the heavy German, no, not German he thinks. Bavarian. And he could die a thousand times and still remember that voice.

"Bastian?" He calls out, loud enough for them to hear.

He hears everyone raise their guns.

"Who's there?" A british accent begins. Lukas comes out of the shadows, and the light from the torch they're carrying is bright enough for them to identify him. Bastian drops his gun and wraps his arms without a thought.

"Lukas?" He breaths into his ear, and Lukas nods. "How?"

"What are you doing here? I thought you were safe in England."

The man who is leading the group puts a hand on their shoulders. "We need to keep moving, unless you two want to become German meat."

* * *

**It's safe to leave the Hockbunker, please proceed with caution.**

"Come on, let's go." 

They crowd slowly forms a line, and Thomas and Miro are caught up in it. When they see that the guards are asking for documents to leave, Miro turns to Thomas.

"What are we going to do?"

"I can try to convin-" He stops at the sight of a guard arresting a man, and beating him on the head, leaving blood on the floor. They think they hear the words 'Stupid gypsy! Did you think-" 

Miroslav grabs Thomas' wrist, and whispers a low "Kocham cię" before they try to pass between the people.

 

"Hey, you two! Wait-"

It's too late, Thomas and Miro are on the run, fighting their way across the street from the couple of guards who noticed they didn't show papers.

"I will shoot if you don't stop!" They shout, but the pair doesn't listen. Thomas follows Miro who's leading them. It doesn't help the sun is shining above them in full strength. Miro stops to catch his breath, and that's when he feels the hit on his back. 

Thomas is a few steps ahead when he turns to find him on the ground, and the officer has the gun aimed at his head.

"You filthy..."

He's paralysed. If he jumps in and defends Miro, the guard might fire. 

"Hey hey, whoa, calm down there tiger."

A thin bald man approaches from a dark alley, walking directly to the officer. He doesn't seem to have noticed Thomas. The officer recognizes the man immediately. 

"Don't tell me he's one of yours? He was in the..."

The man puts a hand on his shoulder, and Thomas and Miro blink at this man's intimidation. 

"They're new, heard the alarm and ran, can't blame 'em... Anyway... You know it's not wise to cross me.." He smirks. 

"I'm sorry Mr. Robben. You can never be too sure." 

"Get out of here before I get you reported."

Thomas can't believe his eyes when the guard takes off and runs without thinking twice about it. The guy named Robben turns to Miro, and offers him a hand to get him back on his feet.

"Jew? Communist? Which one is it?"

"Just... a Pole." 

Thomas immediately takes a protective stand. "Hey, he's with me!" 

"Oh?" The man rises an eyebrow, takes a minute to look at the Bavarian, and directly back at Miroslav, adds. "Do we know him?"

Miro nods, to which the man sighs. 

"I thought you were alone... Very well then. Come on, follow me." 

Between narrow alleys, Thomas isn't convinced this Robben guy is to be trusted, but it's not like they have a choice. Miro seems to get along with him, he guesses.

"My name is Arjen. Dutchman. Came here to study when I was younger but that went to hell with all the racism going on, so now I manage some special builders."

"Uh, I'm Miroslav. Builders you say?" 

"Rebuilding what the bombs destroy mostly. We also have our own shelters, and well best part... My workers don't need papers. A deal I managed to pull off with the SS."

Arjen leads them inside a small building full of bedrolls. Some men turn to them with a surprised look. Some stairs leave them even lower underground. Arjen closes a door behind him, and they're in his office. 

Thomas finally gets the hint. "You're saving Jews from deportation." 

"Not just Jews, genious. Anyone who's a public enemy from Hilter's boys is welcome here. It took a while for us to be settled, they don't suspect us. They'll all under my protection."

"Amazing." Miro baffles. Arjen then finally looks at Thomas. 

"A'right, it takes no wizard to break down your accent is a typical German one from the South, so what's your business with this Pole?" 

The Pole tries to shakes his head, but Thomas is clearly annoyed. "My name is Thomas and I'm his boy-" 

"Best friend." Miroslav manages to cut off the likely other word that Thomas was thinking of. "I've known him since we were children, he's not like them. I assure you." 

Arjen relaxes at those words. "I'll take your word." Then, looking bck at Thomas adds. "Sorry, you can't be too careful, specially with the amount of spies we hear about." 

Thomas shakes his head. He really doesn't like this Arjen guy at all.

"I could offer you both a job here, it's only a matter of time before the war is over. The pay is food rations and a place to sleep, in exchange of some labour work."

Miro shivers at the word 'labour work'. These guys have probably no idea of what's happening in concentration camps in Poland.

"And no papers to worry about."

A knock on the door, and Arjen yells something in Dutch. A brown haired man with a beard walks in.

"What is it Frank?"

"SS are roaming closer and closer down the third street to the right.... again." Frank replies, with a heavy French accent. 

Arjen sighs, and turns to Miroslav. 

"If you excuse me, I have things to attend to, you're welcome to stay the night, but I need a reply before tomorrow." 

* * *

 

"I still can't believe I found you."

Lukas opens his eyes to find a sleepy Bastian next to him. He must have slipped once all the others were asleep. How typical of him.

"I guess you're the reason I was still in this hell.."

"Mhhmm.." Bastian whimpers, until his lips find Lukas' and they're lost in each other for a moment. "I've missed you." 

"What's the plan?" Lukas has to ask.

"Going back to England, after what happened to your unit, they wont expect you to keep fighting. You can come with us."

"Sounds good." Before Bastian can kiss him, Lukas starts again. 

"What about Miroslav? Where is he? Didn't he leave with you?"

Bastian realises, Lukas doesn't know. "Thomas, he's alive! He's alive and in Germany. The bombs didn't get him, so Miro went to find him. I hope they found each other."

Lukas' grin is huge. "I can't believe it!"

"What about the others?"

"Robert... got it pretty bad on D-Day..." Lukas' voice trails off, remembering the horrors he lived that day. Bastian seems to understand. It's an amazing bond they have, he thinks. They can communicate without even saying a word.

"It's over now." He whispers and kisses him again. "We're going home together."

Lukas shakes his head. 

"You're my home Bastian. I am home." 

 


	24. Vierundzwanzig

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang is close to home, meanwhile Thomas and Miro only need to hang in there a little bit further.

"Our Poland is free, the Red Army has liberated Auschwitz, a camp full of prisoners. That's where they were taking them. The rumours were true."

"Hm... I don't trust the Soviets, they've always wanted to take our territory anyway."

Thomas grabs a bite from his piece of bread as the couple of Polish friends beside him gossip. Miroslav is still sleeping, and he spots Arjen going in his office. He gets up and follows.

"Mr. Müller." He doesn't even have to look at him to know he's followed him.

"Is it true?"

"About?"

"Auschwitz."

Robben sighs, and nods. Thomas' mouth drops. It's really over. Well, at least for Poland it is. Arjen picks up the phone and he decides it's best to leave him to his business. He wonders if this winter is the last one this war will see. The snow is white and thick, similar to the other years. It's as if nature has no idea of the horrors that have happened during the last years.

It's pure and innocent.

He's out on the roads of Berlin who give away a soft air. His footsteps are small, compared to everything that has happened. He wants it to end and that's when Thomas realises he's jealous of Poland. Another man from the camp passes right next to him. He's shaking, and Thomas can hardly blame him with the weather. 

He lights up a cigarette. 

It's funny, cigarettes are rare these days, and are worth a lot more money than any of them make. It is however his business, and Thomas follows the path. In the middle of the town square, he places his hands on his mouth, in an attempt to warm his body.

"Psst."

He's here. Thomas follows the voice and it's the same woman. 

"Do you have the eggs?" He asks. 

"I have everything you asked for."

Thomas and the woman exchange money and goods, and he's off to the camp again, before any Nazi idiot can notice him. He's almost there when he trips and falls. He curses under his breath when he realises he didn't trip by accident, an officer pushed him down. He gets up and turns to the dark man. 

"Your papers, scum. I'm going to blow your brains out."

Thomas does his best to hide the goods he bought, and shakes his head. The man takes out a pistol and points it a few fingers away from his face. He's trembling. 

"I-I- work for Arjen Robben." The man doesn't move. "He asked me to get some goods for him with his coupons."

The gun is lowered, and the figure starts looking for some cigars in his bag. 

"Arjen Robben? Huh, should have known." He takes a look at Thomas' outfit then sceptically asks. "How old are you, boy?"

He relaxes at the change of tone, Thomas knows he's fallen for his story. 

"Twenty-five." 

"Well at least he keeps it legal. Alright, send my regards to Robben, tell him we've missed him at the bar last week."

The German officer lets out a nasty laugh that only disgusts Thomas. However, he nods and turns around and is gone without a second thought. 

 

He gets inside their tent, and Thomas is surprised Miro is still asleep. He pulls the curtain around him so they can have a little bit of privacy. He takes advantage that no one is around to drop a soft kiss on his forehead, to which he replies in a sleepy moan. 

"Mmh.. I love.. waking up like that..." 

Thomas smiles, and shakes him a little. 

"Wake up, it's almost time to work... and look what I brought." 

Miro opens one eye and he's up on his feet at the sight. He's got eggs, bacon and bread with him. 

"But how?"

"It's a secret, but it's a gift to you." 

"But... It's not my birthday until June." 

"It doesn't have to be a birthday... How about it's just a present to prove my feelings?" 

Miro lets out a small laugh and kisses him. Thomas smiles in the kiss and quickly pulls away when they hear someone walk in.

"As if I needed proof." He adds as he takes a bite of the sausage. 

 

After they've managed to cook the eggs a bit near a fire. Thomas leans closer to Miro so no one else overhears. "I ran into an officer on my way back. Almost shot my head off, if it wasn't for the excuse I gave him. I wonder what Arjen does to keep the guards so clear of suspicion." 

Miro opens his mouth to protest, but Thomas beats him to it. "I know, I know. I was careful though, he seemed closer than the usual ones. Plus, you know I would do anything to see that smile on your face when you saw the food." 

"You can't risk yourself like that. They're one called 'The Shooter'. Everyday he kills some poor Jew, just for fun."

Thomas shakes away the image of the man with the gun pointed towards him. He decides to change the subject.

"Auschwitz has been liberated." 

Miro's eyes are round. "What?"

"It's not long until the Soviets or the Americans reach Germany. I asked Arjen earlier too. He says it's true. No more lives will be lost in the gas chambers."

He lets out a sigh, and Thomas can't tell if it's a happy or a sad one. 

 

* * *

 

It happens when Wojciech least expects it.

He's next to the radio, waiting for news on the front. It's not even close for updates time, instead there's songs playing. He closes his eyes to let the music run through his head. It's the middle of fall, and the leaves have started to fall off trees. 

England is beautiful. 

He wishes Robert was here to... Robert. He can't go on more than 10 minutes without the dark haired man slipping in his brain and messing everything up. Like Miro had lost Thomas, he feels he has Robert hanging by a thread. He's seen Miroslav these past months. He's seen that expression on his face when he thinks no one is looking. It's as if a part of himself died with Thomas when he didn't come out of that fire.

The same way Robert had taken a part of him the minute he left him there. It's about 3 PM, but Wojciech feels his eyes heavy. Maybe he can at least have Robert in his dreams, he thinks. 

The door unlocks, and it's probably Holger. Woj's eyes are closed, he doesn't want to be disturbed, as he's managed to imagine Robert next to him. 

"Wojciech?" 

As he feared, Holger calls his name. He doesn't move, pretending he's asleep. To his surprise, Holger lowers his voice. 

"Oh, there he is... Sleeping again. He's been quite moody since you left." 

"Well, that's just who he is..."

Woj opens his eyes, that voice. It can't be. He turns around to find Robert standing next to Holger. He's lost at words, and his first movement is his leg to get off the couch, but he fails to coordinate them properly, ending with Wojciech on the ground. 

He's shaking, when Holger offers him a hand. 

"It's okay."

Wojciech looks up to Robert, and if he didn't know better, he could swear the Pole has tears in his eyes. 

"Ro- Rob-?" He stutters, and Robert smiles that crooked smile Woj knows so well. With Holger's help, he gets on his feet and takes a better look at him. He's wearing Crutches, one under each arm. What happened to him?

Robert seems to notice, however, because quickly enough he replies.

"It's nothing... Just some bullet in my leg. Nothing a good beer can't fix."

Nothing? Woj is baffled. Even with all of hell breaking lose around them, Robert hasn't lost his sense of humor. To his surprise, a smile finds its way on Woj's face. He can't help it.

"You're home." He manages to say, and his arms are wrapped around Robert, who's voice is trembling. "You bet I am." 

"Wake up sleepy head."

Robert's image fades, and it's all black. Woj's eyes open to find the window still dark. 

"Huh?" 

"Something's up." Robert is next to him, getting dressed. 

"I was dreaming about when you came home." Wojciech admits, with a smile. 

Robert leans over the bed and drops a kiss on his lips before Woj can even move. "I like it when you dream about me."

"Come back to bed." 

"Get dressed, it's Bastian."

 

 

"They're finally home!" Someone yells, and the group can't believe their eyes. Bastian is home. First Robert, and now Bastian. Woj feels slowly his heart rate go up. The moment Robert sees Lukas get out of the small helicopter, his smile is as wide as ever. His leg is healed fairly from the bullet, but it hasn't gotten to full recovery. 

"You're damn full of surprises, Podolski."

Behind him is the rest of the team. They hug each other as old friends, knowing how lucky they are to see each other again. Wojciech jokes on Bastian's hair, who has gotten longer than his usual cut.

"You're going French on us." He teases. "What took you two so long?"

Lukas starts. "Well the way I see it, Germans made it hard for Basti and his little party to fly back, so they had to wait for things to calm down in France. I got lucky, as we ran into each other in the front. With the allies marching on the Reich, we were finally able to cross the English Channel." 

Bastian notices a shy figure in the back. It's Holger. He automatically moves to him and gives him a reassuring smile. He looks thinner, and can only imagine how worried he must have been. 

"Hey, Holgi." Basti notices he has tears in his eyes. He's speechless, and wraps an arm around him. "We're home."

They're interrupted by Robert, who quickly asks. "Wait, where's Miro?" 

Holger pulls away, to confirm his absence, but Lukas quickly replies. "Miro... wait until you hear..." He turns to Bastian. Everyone follows expecting an answer. 

"Thomas... he's alive." There's gasping, and a silence mixed with voices around them. Bastian continues. "We got a lead, about him. Miro left immediately to look for him. Apparently he's stuck in Germany. That was about 6 months ago.. We, ugh, we don't know more. They could be safe or off to a camp, but there's hope."

Wojciech blinks. Thomas is alive after everything, that boy has nothing but determination in him. It's admirable. 

"Come on, let's get you two home." Holger starts, "You deserve a nice supper." 

 

* * *

 

It's the end of the day, and Miro walks towards the bench, to drop his tools. He's thankful for this job, they get reasonable amounts of food and a nice bed to sleep in. Some nights when Miro has nightmares about Auschwitz, Thomas sneaks in and sleeps for a while next to him. Most importantly however, they get protection from Nazis.

The war is coming to an end. Finally.

The Americans are near the border, rumours about them overthrowing the Reich are more frequent every day. Miro would be lying if he said he wasn't scared. He's terrified of what they might do to them in the end. Hitler's goal isn't to win the war anymore, it's shifted to one goal only: exterminate the Jews, as sick as it sounds. 

He's been meaning to ask Arjen about the rumours, as he's learned he's their best source of information. Thomas walks up next to him with his usual grin. Nothing dampens that boys spirits, he could swear. 

"I'll be right at the tent," Miro tells him, and Thomas nods. They hold a gaze for a moment, and Miro knows what Thomas is thinking. His eyes are full of tender and softness. They spell out 'I love you'.

"Me too." He adds, and the Bavarian is satisfied. 

 

He's about to knock on the door when he hears yelling from the inside. 

"Spit it out, Karl." 

"I said I payed for those cigarettes! With my father's money!"

Frank Ribéry, Arjen's best man arrives behind Miro. He makes a movement and Miro takes a step back, he opens the door and leaves it open, giving Miro a full view on the situation.

The Dutchman turns to Frank. "And?"

"You were right. We found this letter. This rat has been seeing SS officers all this time."

Unable to control his anger, Arjen throws a fist at the man sitting on a chair, and he falls to the floor. "How much do they know?" He adds, when the man lifts his head from the floor, with blood coming out of his mouth. He doesn't reply, and Arjen turns to his desk and takes out a revolver. 

Miro watches how he aims it straight at the head. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you on the spot."

The man coughs blood, and shakes his head. "Pleas- Please. I didn't mean.. I didn't.." Arjen charges the weapon, and the man panics even further. 

"They know, they know about how you hide Jews and.. they're planning on killing everyone, soon, this week.. or the next." 

Arjen's face is white. "Do they know how many we are?"

"They know where... and how many, just not.. I didn't tell them about the guns. But lately, they want more, it's like... it's like they want to have fun with us. They give me cigarettes and food, actual human food, don't you understand?"

"You're a Jew... How could you?"

"Please.. have mercy.."

"How many have you talked to?"

"It's only one SS officer that matters, the others are only his dogs to carry out the dirty work. His name is Koch." 

There's no time to hesitate, and Miro realises Arjen cannot take any risks of this rat telling anything more to the nazis. He pulls the trigger and his body falls to the ground. He awkwardly takes a step in to reveal his presence and Arjen's attention is now on Frank. 

"We need to move, now. With the war at this point they're going to shoot everyone here. Some men can't even use a gun. Frank, you know what to do, go wrap the men up, and start heading towards the sewers." He turns to Miro. "Have you ever used a gun before?"

He nods.

"Great, you're coming with me."

Miro blinks, "What?"

"We're going to hunt the big cat before it gets hungry for mice."

He throws a pistol at Miro and the Pole is stunned. Arjen takes his coat and makes a hand movement to get Miro to follow. His heart is beating fast, as he can't even warn Thomas.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	25. Fünfundzwanzig

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miro encounters an old acquaintance, how will he react?

Miro carefully charges the gun with the magazine.

Steady, aim, shoot.

He repeats the three simple yet powerful words in his head, all the training Lukas had given him had to work for something. Arjen leads the way.

"If we manage to surprise them..."

Miro nods, as he takes a look at the guards standing outside the small house. One of them is eating a donut, a piece of it falls on the ground. His friends call him names and a laughter breaks through them. It baffles Miro how normal they look. 

"They don't seem ready to attack." The Pole observes.

Arjen agrees. "I was too rash, we need to head back and plan things better. Our priority is to protect everyone."

They turn around only to have a dark silhouette standing before them. Miro catches the swastika on his arm and his hands get a grip on the gun. It's a reflex, and he's glad. Even if Arjen has a way with SS guards, he can never be too sure. He notices the Dutchman doesn't look relaxed. 

What's wrong? Miro thinks, but doesn't say. His friend looks different, usually he would have said a word or a joke by now. 

But when the shadow opens his mouth, the Pole freezes. "Name and documents. Now." His hands drop from the gun and has a hard time not falling himself.  

It's Koch. Oh god. It's him.

"Officer Koch, I'm Arjen Robben, I own the..." The Dutchman tries, but it's useless. Koch cuts him off.

"I know who you are, traitor. How convenient is it that you came directly to us. Thank you for saving us the trouble."  

Miro's heart is racing. The devil from Auschwitz. He thought he was safe from him. Is he to be forever haunted? His face is fixed on the ground, hoping he doesn't draw his attention. 

"You've been hiding Jews, Gypsys, Homosexuals... Aren't you embarrassed to betray the Reich?"

Arjen doesn't deny it, how could he? They know everything already. 

"You're losing the war, what's the point anymore?" 

Koch raises his gun, and points it at Arjen. "I could kill you on the spot." 

Arjen jumps, and Miro looks straight at the gun, then shifts his eyes on the man. He quickly tries to look away again, but it's too late: he's been spotted. To their surprise, he lowers the gun.

"White eyes..." He can hear the scepticism in his tone. "You're alive?" The German lets out a dark laughter, it doesn't calm either Miro or Arjen down.

"He's not a Je-" Arjen begins.

"Shut up. I know exactly what he is." He coldly brushes.

Something in Miroslav tells him to run, to move, anything, but he's paralysed by fear. He can't move a muscle. And when Koch moves towards him and grabs him by the neck, he can't react in time. Arjen tries, of course, to help, but Koch is faster, and gives him a blow in the stomach leaving the Dutchman on the ground finding his breath. 

"You're coming with me-"

Maybe it'd be better if he just killed him there. Miro knows he wont let him die easily, he hates him too much. The Monster leans closer to his ears, and whispers something so no one can't hear. 

"Did you'd think I'd let you out of your misery that fast? Oh no, believe me, I'm going to make worse than Auschwitz. You'll regret even leaving that place." A little louder he adds. "And after I'm done, I'm going after that little friend of yours. Müller, was it?" 

Arjen watches how the man kicks Miro when he jumps at Thomas' name. He needs to find his gun quickly. His hands wander to his pants, and he finds it. He's ready to aim, when suddenly, an alarm pierces their ears. It's the bombs, again.  Explosions nearby, and Arjen knows they need to take cover, before...  

"I'm going to enjoy killing yo-" 

Koch can't finish his sentence: a blast nearby is close enough to destroy the building next to them, and Arjen watches how it crumbles before them. Then it's all dark. 

* * *

Miro is still conscious. He's still alive. He has a hard time trying to figure out what's worse: A bomb or Koch. He opens one eye to find a piece of cement on his chest, but that's the extent of it. He's covered in dirt, and coughs it out. He's not injured, luckily. Arjen. Quickly, he stands up looking for him. 

The street is covered with destroyed bricks, and glass. The bomb had fallen on the building next to them. 

"Miroslav..." He hears a weak voice. He turns to Arjen, who has a piece of glass buried in his arm. Miro carefully takes it out and rips a part of his shirt to fold it. After helping him cough all the dirt up, he helps him stand. 

"Can you walk?" 

"Yeah, we- we need to warn Frank. He'll know- know what to do."

"Let's go." He lets Arjen lead the way. But before, a thought crosses his mind: he needs to find his gun. He doesn't feel it on his pants anymore. He needs that gun. As Arjen starts walking, Miro decides to look around the debris. There's bricks everywhere, and Miro realises it's useless. 

He's ready to go back when he spots the weapon laying over what seems to be a broken window. He almost misses the muffled voice calling him.

"Coward."

He hadn't noticed the figure on his right. A construction rod with some cement left lies on his legs. It's big enough to make him forget about any form of escape. Koch is trapped. He can't hide. Miro takes a step closer, and stands in front of him without saying a word. 

"Come on White Eyes!" He laughs, ending in coughs. "You know what to do. I know you want to."

Miroslav knows exactly what he's talking about. This man, this monster, has taken so many lives. He's beaten up so many people. He doesn't deserve to live. He looks down to the gun he has in his hand. It's loaded, he knows. What happens if he saves the world from this beast?

He aims the gun to his head.  

One shot and his life could be over. One shot and he could save millions. One shot and this could all be over. One shot.. and he wont be able to hurt Miro any longer. Never again.

"One shot..." 

All he has to do is pull the trigger.

"Miro!" 

Thomas' voice echoes through the debris. He stops when he finds Miro with a gun pointed directly at Koch's head. Arjen is blankly staring, and Thomas runs past him. 

"Miro." He repeats, calmer this time. He's standing behind the Pole, and it's not hard to miss the fact that he's shaking. 

"He deserves it." Miro whimpers low at first, but repeats louder for Thomas to hear. "He deserves it!"

Koch shifts his eyes from Miroslav to the Bavarian. "I shouldn't be surprised, if it isn't my stupid good for nothing _dog_." 

But Thomas doesn't even look at him. 

"I know he does Miro, I know... I- I saw what he did to you, to all of you, the inmates, but what happens after?"

There's a silence, Thomas repeats. 

"What happens after you kill him?" 

"It's not fair... He.. He caused us so much misery." His voice is shaking.  

"Come on..." The monster teases him.

Thomas sighs. He knows Miro well enough that if he kills this man, he'll never be the same. It'll change him forever. He needs to stop this. He takes a few steps to stand between Koch and the gun. 

"Listen to me. Will it change anything? Will it take away your nightmares? If you kill him you'll never live with yourself."

Miro has such a broken expression, it breaks his heart. He doesn't even dare to look at Thomas. 

"We can stop him Miro, but not like this."

The Pole hesitates at first, but eventually lowers the weapon, Thomas takes a step forward and gently removes it from his hand. With the other one, he cups his face, to which Miro is forced to look at him directly. 

"It's okay." He whispers, Miro nods and the next thing Thomas knows, he's lost in his arms. "It's okay." He repeats.

"Let's go!" The Dutchman calls out, and the pair acknowledge him. Miro is the first to head towards Arjen. Thomas waits for a moment, not sure of what to do with the weapon. 

"You're going to hell... you know Müller? Betraying your family like that, your country.. You hear me? You're going to hell."

Thomas glances back. He could really kill him for hurting and tormenting Miro for so long. He knows how hard it'll be for Miro, even after the war is over. But he'll be there for him. He can be sure of that. 

The man coughs again, and Thomas notices there's blood dripping from his head. It's not likely he'll make it. 

"I'll see you there then." He adds, and he's gone. 

* * *

 

"How did you even find me?" Miro asks.

"Frank told me where you and Arjen went, and when the bombs fell, I just had to make sure you were fine."

Arjen speaks up. "You two can't stay here. He'll have you both shot and killed when they come looking for us. It's a matter of days. You must get out of Berlin, now."

"But how?" Thomas knows it's the best, but the city is crawling with guards. No one goes in and no one goes out. 

However, the man still has one card left to play. "The sewers." He winks. 

 

 

"How long do wars last?" Thomas asks, to distract himself from the horrible smell. At least they had time to pack food, he figures. 

Miro shrugs. "The Great War lasted 4 years."  

"Hmm" He sighs. It's been 5 years for this one, and it feels like it'll never end. 

"It wont be long now." Miro adds. "We should make a turn here,"

They're walking slowly inside the dirty water. Anything to make it out of this city. Thomas remembers what happened earlier. 

"Do you wanna talk about it?" 

Miro knows exactly what he's talking about. "I-It's unfair." He starts, "We've lost so many people, I've seen so many perish at their hands, my mother, I almost lost you... So many... and he.."

"He gets to live." Thomas finishes. "But Miro, Koch will pay for everything he's done. Maybe not in this lifetime, but he will. Just like you'll get rewarded with good things."

"Rewarded?" 

Miro's tone surprises Thomas. It's bordering irony.

"Auschwitz haunts me everyday." Miro admits. "I-- Maybe Koch is right. Maybe I do deserve all of this.. All of this.."

Thomas realises he's never talked about Auschwitz with him. He thinks about the year Miro thought he was dead: Who comforted him with his nightmares? The image of Miro all alone breaks his heart. He stops him by taking his hand, yet Miro doesn't look at him. "Miro.."

"Why did I live? And why did-my mother die?"

"You don't know if she's gone." He automatically says, but then again, Thomas can't promise she's alive. Instead, he tries something else. He continues walking through the water making sure Miro follows him without letting go of his hand. 

"May I kindly remind you the impact you've had in my life?" 

"The impact?" 

"The boy in the meadow... the Nazi born boy in the meadow."

"I-" Miro understands his point. He sighs. At least now he's able to look at Thomas. "I just.. I feel so guilty. When we were at the camp, I worked at this house, outside it. It wasn't any house... It was the commandants house. They gave me actual.. food... Shelter... I tried sharing back at the camp, but.. it.. it wasn't enough. This particular man, didn't accept a piece of bread I offered.. Said I wasn't one of them anymore..."

Thomas remembers Miro in the camp. He knows if he hadn't found him, the worst would have happened.

"He died a couple of weeks later." 

The way Miro talks about... It's like... It hits him.

"Oh Miro.. you have to understand, it's not your fault." He stops, and Miro looks down. Thomas can't resist to wrap his arms around him. It's not fair he has to go through this.

"It's not your fault,"

"It'll take a while for me to believe that." A defeated Miro replies. 

Thomas drops a kiss on his cheek. "Then I'll repeat it every single day to you, until we're old with grey hair."

He feels the Pole finally let out some tears, and a muffled "Thank you." 

 

A few hours later, Miro looks up at the open circle above them. "Is this it?" Thomas asks. 

Miro nods. "We might run into some guards... Our best chance is to make a run for it." 

There's a silence, as if both of them process what it implies. There's the possibility they might not get out of Berlin at all.

"Uh, Thomas.."

The Bavarian looks at the Pole. 

"Yeah Miro?"

With the only light coming from the cracks above, Miroslav takes a step closer, and goes right for his lips. It's probably the last thing Thomas would have expected. Miro pushes him gently against the cold wall, but none of them care. They're lost in each other. 

"Mir-Miro." Thomas tries, out of breath. He would love to keep this activity up, but he has to say it. "I.. love you, so much."

Miro's reaction is to close the gap again. Thomas smiles through the kisses. After a moment, Miro pulls back again and lets out "Just, promise me... we'll make it." 

His icy blue eyes are staring right at him. He nods with a grin. "Always."

"We should go.." The Pole starts.

They both know that's true, but it doesn't stop them from finding each other's lips again. Thomas' hands are in his hair, and for a moment, he knows: everything is going to be okay. He has to believe in that. 

* * *

 

Fresh air. 

"Come on, let's go." They both hurry out of the hole, and creep onto the streets. They waited until dark, since their chances of success increase. They run down a street, but stop at the bridge to exit the town.

Armed patrols.

"We can't go that way." Miro tells him. "They're ready to shoot."

"The Soviets must be near."

"We need to keep moving." The Pole notices a plane fly to the city. "We don't want to be here when the armies attack."  

"We could swim." Thomas points out, looking at the water. "We swim until we see some woods." Miro looks at the patrols, who seem to have started moving towards them. 

"I don't think we have a choice, come on!"

The pair walk down and jump in the water, it's freezing. Thomas has a flashback to when he and Miro used to bathe in the warm Chiemsee water. He'd give anything to turn back time, before any of this happened. 

Gunshots, but he doesn't know if they're aimed at them. 

"Keep swimming!" Miro yells, and Thomas complies. 

He tries to swim, but it's so cold, his vision has gotten blurry. Maybe he got shot, that would explain it. Miro makes a movement, but when Thomas has trouble understanding him, he moves to the shore. He can feel his body give in, and he can guess that Miro's must be exhausted as well. 

If the water was cold, the air when they get out of it is even worse. His lips are purple and he's shivering. He trips and falls over, but Miro is there. He has a glance to the icy blue eyes that have given him strength so many times before.

He has to go to them, Thomas makes a last effort towards Miro, which ends with the two of them tumbling and falling on the ground. He notices Miro is shivering as well. He doesn't hear gunshots anymore, though. He closes his eyes, but Miro tells him to keep them open. The spot where they had landed happened to be a bit lower than average, giving them comfort from the wind. 

It's the sunrise, and they're still holding each other. 

Thomas pays attention to Miro's heartbeat. He makes sure it doesn't drop. He shifts his head to watch the peach coloured sky before them. There's not many trees around them, and he has no idea how far they managed to get from Berlin. 

"I.. I think we're good." Miro lets out, with a weak smile. 

Thomas nods.

When they're strong enough to stand up, Thomas notices he's not wearing the bag full of food anymore. He curses. "The water must have taken it away."

The Pole nods, "We'll just need to hurry and find the Soviets then." 

"We're going to be fine." He repeats for the fifth time, and when Miro nods again, he smiles. They've been walking with no real direction for a while now. He wonders how long they'll go without water.

"I love you.." Thomas lets out, and this time, Miro doesn't just nod, he turns back his eyes filled with surprise.

"Do you hear that?" 

 

A tank full of English-speaking soldiers singing happens to be nearby. Miroslav runs and waves desperately at them, and they notice. 

Thomas watches Miro speak English with them, a language he's never really quite gotten right. He does notice when they take a look at him, and he doesn't say a word. He doesn't even know if Miro told them about his German background. 

"They're Canadians." Miro explains when they get on a truck.

"They don't have a problem with me being German?"

"I told them the truth, how you've saved my life on various occasions. They've agreed to take us back to England."

"England?"

"Some people will be quite excited to see you."

"Do you mean..?" Thomas' eyes light up, and Miro nods.  

Bastian, Lukas, Robert, Holger.. He can't help but feel emotional. His eyes drop a tear. Miro smiles and gladly wipes it. "It's okay kochanie, it's okay.."

A man interrupts them offering a piece of bread to Miro, who replies. He comes back with food and drinks. For the first time, Thomas starts to believe there will be a life after the war. A life with Miro in it, and all of his loved ones. 

 

The trip is long on an Army truck. They stop for meals and sleep, but share it with a bunch of injured soldiers. Even if he doesn't understand many conversations, Thomas has to admit he hasn't felt this relaxed in a long time. He's resting his head against Miro's one evening as the truck drives. His voice brings him back to reality.

"What's on your mind?" 

".. I.. We're going to survive" He's not lying. The Pole smiles, and grabs his hand. He continues. 

"I've been thinking about everything, you know? I survived a family full of nazis, typhus, bombs..."

Miro interrupts him. "And I'm ever so thankful you were so lucky."

"I don't think it was luck." The Bavarian sits up, and his hand travels to his neck. He takes out the necklace Miro had given him so many years ago. 

"I.." Miro is speechless. "You still have it? After everything?" 

Thomas smiles, and puts it back inside.

"After everything." He confirms. "Besides, I think part of taking care of me includes you."

"What do you mean?"

"I think this necklace kept you save as well, because it knows I couldn't... I couldn't truly be okay without you." 

They share a tender look, one that doesn't need words or even actions to prove how deep it is. Thomas then breaks it with a silly smile.

"You're stuck with me now."

"There's no one else I'd rather be with." 

And Thomas' grin spreads wider. A radio sound comes from the back of the truck, and Miro focuses on it. He even stands up to listen better. Thomas manages to understand a few words. Germany, war, Hitler.. That's about it. A word calls his attention. 

When the blue eyed man returns, he asks. 

"Miro, what does 'capitulate' mean?" 

The Pole has a huge grin on his face, and Thomas blinks. 

" _It means the war is over._ " 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wawawawawa ok there's one more chapter left, but i cant believe i got here, thank you again everyone for taking the time to read, comment and kudos <3 it means a lot :D


	26. Sechsundzwanzig: Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermatch of the war.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been an exact year since i started this so it seemed perfect to close it on the same year, thank you all for reading and commenting and i truly hope you enjoyed reading this :) 
> 
> this honestly wasn't supposed to be this long but what can i say, thank you all again so very much!

**[3 weeks later]**

Bastian is the first one to hold Thomas close when he opens the door. "It's over!" Thomas can hear him shout over his shoulder. "It's over!" He can see Lukas, Robert, Wojciech, Holger and even Marco. 

They're all incredibly surprised to see him. 

"Tell us everything, how did you survive the bombs?" Holger asks at dinner, everyone is curious as well. 

Thomas doesn't really know what to reply. "I got lucky." He smiles, and glances at Miroslav, who's quietly enjoying his soup. Real lucky, Thomas agrees with himself. 

 

Bastian helps Lukas out with the dishes after they're done, and his friend gives him a warm smile.

"We made it." 

Bastian glances at Holger and Thomas, who seem to be sharing a piece of chocolate. A thought crosses his mind. 

"What now?"

Lukas puts down the bowl and finds Basti's eyes. "We go on, we live, we remember."

Not convinced, the blonder man looks down. Lukas takes a step closer and wraps his hands behind his neck. Bastian is surprised when he spots a smile on his lips.

"We're alive for a reason, Basti, and I'm never going to leave you."

Basti joins the smile, and nods. As long as he's with Lukas, everything will be fine. 

 

Robert and Wojciech enjoy spending their time staring at the stars at night. They've found comfort in the silence from the absence of bombs. The war really is over. Woj's head finds its way to Robert's shoulder. 

"What is it?" The dark haired man asks, "Something's troubling you."

Woj shakes his head. "I just.. I can't believe we made it through." 

Robert feels his stomach shift. He drops a kiss on his temple and smiles. "I know what I want, I wish to spend my lifetime with you."

This makes the man move up and stare into his eyes. "Do you mean it?" 

There's an honesty in Robert's eyes that Woj has never seen before. The soldier had recovered from his wound on that terrible day. D-Day. He was terribly thankful Lukas had kept him safe, and that after all this time, Robert was still next to him. 

The Pole nods, earning a small peck from Wojciech's part. 

Robert loved him, and he loved Robert. 

"Kocham Cię." Robert manages to whisper.

"Robert." His tone is serious.

"What is it?"

"Let's go back to Poland." 

"What?"

"There's no where else where we belong. Marco's going back to look for Mario. We could join him."

"Who?"

"The chubby lad who Marco is strangely fond of... back in Warsaw."

Robert laughs, "I'd like that, very much... as long as we're together."

It's Wojciech's turn to laugh. "When did you turn into such a romantic?" 

 

**[4 months later]**

 

"England is fine, isn't it?" Bastian asks Thomas, a few weeks after he's settled. 

"I do miss München." He's being completely honest. "Do you think we can ever go back?" 

"Don't really want to go back there." He admits. "I've been offered a job in Manchester, and to be fair I think I'll take it." 

Thomas turns back at his friend with a raised eyebrow. 

"Manchester?" 

Basti shrugs and smiles. "How's Miro?" He asks, to change the subject.

"Healing... Still has nightmares."

"He'll get better with time, so will you." 

"I just wish... He's lost so much. I want him to be happy." 

"You do make him happy, you've always had. Holger got a letter from Philipp, by the way."

"He did? Is he alright?"

"Julian has grown so much, he sent us pictures. I'll show them to you later. They're living in Switzerland as a happy family. Claudia sends her regards to you, and Miro.. and hopes you two are still as close."

Thomas laughs. "In my defence, I had typhus, and I don't remember what happened during the time I travelled with her and Miro." 

"Sure you don't. I can only imagine Miro's worried kisses all over you and Claudia wondering how that's _a best friend thing to do_." 

Thomas is prepared to throw anything at him when a voice behind interrupts them. "Thomas, Lewy on the phone for you. Sounds important." 

He excuses himself and Basti nods. 

 

* * *

 

Miro can't sleep with the rain outside. He's staring at the drops hitting softly against the window. 

"Can't sleep?" 

Thomas whispers from behind. He thought he was sleeping, he turns his head to the young boy. The bed isn't too big, so they're forced to be close to each other, not that they mind. 

"Nightmare?" He guesses, but Miro shakes his head. He's not lying, his nightmares come and go, but today he's been spared. Some are about Auschwitz, some are about losing Thomas. Yet Thomas is always there to calm him down when he wakes up. Instinctively, Miro pushes his lips softly against Thomas' who in return, moves his hands from his sides to his chest. 

"Just thinking." 

"You think too much."

Miro chuckles and suddenly there's the sound of thunder outside, the storm raging on London. Miro doesn't mind the city, but he finds it would be better if it weren't raining so often. The wind is strong against the window, it makes it vibrate far more than it normally does. 

"Today Holger and I ran into Jack, you know, from work. He said he got word from Olivier, Jeanne's husband. She's fine. She got out of Berlin perfectly safe. A brave woman, that one, I gotta say." 

There's no reply, and Miro wonders if Thomas has gone to sleep. Wouldn't be the first time it happens. He loves listening to Thomas' quiet breath in the night though, so he doesn't complain. He settles for Thomas' hand instead, but is surprised to find it shaking. 

"Thomas?" He asks, a tone of concern rising in his voice. 

"Yea-" He's stopped by another jet of thunder outside, and it's enough to cut him off entirely.

Miro knows exactly what it is though, he softly pulls Thomas in and rests his head on his chest to protect him. Thomas has developed a sensitivity for sounds, specially loud ones. Thunder and bombs falling aren't that different, and Miro figures it's the similarity of it that drives Thomas insane. 

"You're safe." He tries. One way or another, Miro has a gift to calm him down. 

When he feels Thomas' breath settle down, the Bavarian shifts in order to meet his eyes. "Do you think it'll go away? Do you think I'll stop... you know... like-"

Miro doesn't know. It's like asking him if the nightmares will ever leave him alone. But Thomas is stronger, he's always been incredibly strong, and a part of Miroslav knows he will manage to fight the anxiety away.

"Yeah, I do." And he kisses him again. 

 

**[1 year later]**

"You can open your eyes now!" Thomas teases after he's given the envelope to Miro.

"Germany?" The man is surprised when he opens it. 

"Yes! Germany!"

Miroslav takes a look at his tickets. They're proper boat tickets, all the way to Bremen. 

"Why?"

"After that, we're grabbing a train and a bus, back to Chiemsee." 

Miroslav can't believe his eyes. "What about-"

Thomas has already beaten him to it. "I already told Holgi and the others. With Basti gone to Manchester with Lukas here in London, they have all the help they need. And I made a deal with the Americans! We have the visa and everything!" 

"Chiemsee." Miroslav repeats, and Thomas smiles. 

"We're going home." 

 

* * *

 

 

It's unbelievable, when Miro and Thomas step out of the bus how nothing has changed. The wind is soft and warm, and there's children running around the streets. Thomas even spots one with a football. The grass is as gloriously green as it has always been. The trees glistening with the reflection of the sun on the leaves. 

It's as if it has been protected from the horrors of war. 

Thomas has to take a moment before he can follow Miro. 

They walk through the town square, where they used to meet up. Miro always with a newspaper, Thomas usually with a football. He looks at the shops, they've closed and new ones have opened, not that he ever really bought stuff there. The pass the way to where he used to live, where another rich family probably lives nowadays. 

"Can I... go check on my old house?" Miro doesn't have to say it, of course, but Thomas knows he wants to see if his grandfather is still living there. 

They walk down the familiar path, to find the same little house on the shore of the lake. 

Miro knocks on the door, one... two... three.. times. No reply. He was terrified of coming here, but he had to check, even if the worst had happened. He feels his heart heavy as he gets ready to turn to Thomas when the door opens.

His mouth drops, he can't believe what he's seeing. It's his grandfather, his truly Bavarian grandfather standing in front of him.

"Miroslav." He manages to say, before Miro has already wrapped his arms around him. 

"Dziadek.." He replies, sniffing a bit.

Thomas has to wipe a tear away, before he catches the pair waving at him, inviting him to join. 

"Let me make you both boys something to eat." He offers, and Miro excuses himself to the bathroom.

"Uh, sir." Thomas starts when he's gone. "There's something I need to talk to you about."

 

* * *

 

"I'm happy" Miro smiles, one arm around Thomas. They're heading towards that one place that will always be sacred to them. "I've only had nightmares two weeks ago. Can you believe it?" 

"I'm glad." Thomas replies "You know, last time we were here, you gave me your necklace." 

"I should have realised then how I felt about you then." Miro blushes slightly. 

"We both did eventually, and that's what matters." Thomas nods.

They're getting nearer, and once they're close enough, Thomas walks a bit ahead of him, leaving his arm and stopping him from going any further. 

"Listen- Miro." 

The Pole raises an eyebrow. 

"I want you to remember this moment, never let it go. When you're feeling bad, or stressed, I want you to always think of this, as proof that things can work out."

"What are you talking abo-?" 

Thomas takes a step closer and stops him from finishing the sentence with a kiss.

"I love you.." And with a giggle, adds. "Just trust me." He drags Miro's arm with him. 

The meadow was as beautiful as they remembered it. A glorious expanse of grass and meadow flowers, grass rustling gently in the breeze. With one tiny difference, Miro squints and notices some people in the distance next to a small building. It looks like a recently built house.

"They built someth-" Miro starts, but Thomas shakes his head and pulls him nearer. 

 

Miro almost loses his balance. He can't believe what he's seeing.

It's his mother, she's sitting on a table outside the small built construction with a glass of water in her hands. Someone must have warned her about his arrival, because when she turns to him, her eyes fill themselves with water.

He holds her like he's never held her before, still completely not sure it's happening. Is this a dream? It must be. 

"Miroslav, Miroslav, Miroslav." 

Her voice echoes and after pulling back and studying her face carefully, Miroslav notices she's not alone. Robert and Wojciech are standing behind her, arms crossed with a smile on their faces. Jeanne next to her husband Olivier, his grandfather, who is also crying. 

"..How?"

His mother explains, "After you left, they evacuated us from the building.. they told me you were dead, but we've heard rumours about the camps... about what happened there to Jews. When the Russians came, we heard some people made it alive and... I never stopped looking for you, Miro." 

"You weren't taken to a-" He was terrified she had gone through the same things he had. She shakes her head to his relief.

"I was looking for you, when I ran into Mr. Lewandowski, who recognised your name immediately." 

"How many Miroslav Kloses from Warsaw are there?" Robert smirks. 

The woman continues her story. "But it wasn't easy for me to get out of the country, you see, I lost all my documents in the bombings and fire... I didn't know what to do... and these young men offered their help. They told me stories, about how you were in a camp, but you were rescued, and living in England!" 

Wojciech adds. "We weren't sure how to tell you, you might have taken it the wrong way.. so we told-" 

Miro notices she's pointing behind him. "Thomas." She finishes. "The boy from Chiemsee. They told me he risked his life in order to keep you from hands of the Nazis." 

He turns his head from the first time from his mother to Thomas, who's smiling faintly. 

"I could have told you, but... I thought you'd enjoy finding out like this." He shrugs. 

Miro feels a rush of emotion run through him, he can't even begin to explain how much everything Thomas has ever done for him means. He gives in, and the first tear falls on his cheek. He watches his mother walk towards Thomas and after wiping a tear off her cheek, simply thanks him in Polish. 

He can also see how Thomas lets a tear drop on his cheek at the sound of her words. 

 

Jeanne stands up next to Thomas. "The house is ready."

"I really need to thank you again." He replies. 

"It was nothing, we needed a place to stay anyway." 

Thomas had contacted his friend. She needed a place to settle and Thomas had taken the chance to ask her to build a house, throughout the past year, and she had nonchalantly agreed.

"This meadow really is wonderful like you said. You two are going to grow old together, aren't you?" 

The pair glance over to find Miroslav with his mother and grandfather, finally catching up after everything that happened during the war. 

"Look how happy he is." Thomas makes her notice. 

Jeanne smiles, in return. 

"I guess I can't convince you guys to stay longer in Germany, can I?" 

She shakes her head. "France is our home, and I truly believe it'll rebuild with the rest of Europe. Expect me to visit you two often, though." 

"I will." 

 

The sun has set on their beloved meadow and a faint memory crosses Thomas' mind. A time where he had found Miroslav on the ground, reading peacefully. He must had been no more than 13 years old at the time. He remembers resting his head on Miro's chest, and the two of them drifting off to sleep. 

"Kochanie." It brings him back from his thoughts to Miro sitting next to him, in the middle of the yellow grass. There's a warm look in Miro's eyes, and Thomas can't help but blush lightly. 

"Where's your family?" Thomas asks, noticing he's alone. 

"Mama left with Dziadek, he has an extra bed after all." 

"May I introduce you... our place?" Thomas adds with a grin.

Miro looks back to the small house. "It's... ours?"

"I asked Jeanne, well, more like begged her." Her and Oli builded it, but they're going back to France. So now... It's our house.. In the meadow." 

Miro shakes his head, in utter surprise.

"It's like our dream."  Thomas adds. 

"Oh Thomas." Miro jumps on him and tackles him down to the ground. "What did I ever do to deserve you?" He asks, playing a bit with his messy hair. 

"Likewise.." Thomas replies and reaches up to kiss him. He can feel the weight of Miro's body on his own, which he doesn't mind at all. It's actually comforting. Miro pulls away, though, and raises his head to the sky. 

"I think I just felt a drop on my head." He muses. Thomas takes the chance and attacks his neck with kisses, moving to his cheeks and finally to his lips. He manages to push him sideways as well, just to end with a muffled _thank you_ from Miro. 

The rain starts to get heavier, and much to Thomas' resistance, Miro manages to pull him towards the small house between smiles and honest laughter. They were going to be fine after all.

 

**The End.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact: Chciałbym spędzić swoje życie z Toba is i want to spend my lifetime with you uhhh polish is so pretty!!

**Author's Note:**

> OKAY so i've had this au in my head since forever  
> it wont be that long tho (i think..)  
> also i'm halfway Oblivion's next chapter so wait for that too soon...  
> thank you for reading as always <3


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